Research on the Influence Mechanism of Digital Economy Development on the Consumption Level of Rural Residents——Empirical analysis based on mediation effect

This paper empirically analyzes the impact mechanism of digital economy development on rural residents' consumption upgrading based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2022, using the methods of mediation effect test and heterogeneity analysis. The study finds that the digital economy significantly improves the consumption level of rural residents, in which the upgrading of industrial structure plays an obvious intermediary effect; the regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the promotion effect is significant in the east and central regions, while the effect in the west is relatively obvious. The study suggests that digital infrastructure and regional differentiated policy supply should be strengthened to activate the synergistic effect of both supply and demand.