Digital Inclusive Finance, Household Livelihood, and Common Prosperity Among Chinese Farmers: A Configuration Analysis Based on Sustainable Livelihood Framework and Farmer Surveys in Zhejiang Province

Digital inclusive financial services are an important external force driving the common prosperity of Chinese farmers, while the sustainable development of household livelihoods is an internal guarantee for their common prosperity. The synergistic interaction between internal and external factors is an inherent requirement for promoting the common prosperity of farmers. Based on survey data from 467 households in Zhejiang Province, China, this study incorporates a qualitative comparative analysis method into a sustainable livelihood framework, establishing five antecedent variables and conducting necessity and sufficiency analysis. It has been found that single-factor conditions are not necessary for the common prosperity of farmers. However, the combination of digital inclusive financial services, household livelihood strategies, modern agricultural development, and rural governance conditions can generate multiple equivalent pathways to promote the common prosperity of farmers. These pathways include the synergistic path between digital inclusive finance and the business-based livelihood strategy, the synergistic path of digital inclusive finance, modern agricultural development, and business-based livelihood strategies, and the synergistic path of digital inclusive finance and rural governance for business-based livelihood strategies. In addition, digital inclusive financial services are identified as the core condition influencing common prosperity among farmers, while livelihood capital serves as a supporting condition for promoting their common prosperity. Rural governance and modern agricultural conditions have a substitutive effect on the impact of digital inclusive finance on common prosperity.