Digital Economy and Urbanization of Floating Population

本文基于2017年全国流动人口动态监测调查数据及地级市层面数据，实证考察数字经济对流动人口市民化的影响。研究借鉴已有方法构建了地级市数字经济发展指数，并创新性地建立了涵盖六个维度、十一个三级指标的流动人口市民化综合评价体系。研究发现：首先，数字经济发展水平对流动人口市民化进程具有显著的促进作用。其次，流动人口群体内部教育水平普遍偏低且分化显著，这既是制约其融入城市生活、缩小与本地居民差距的关键因素，也导致数字经济红利在群体内部分配不均，潜在地扩大了流动人口内部的市民化程度差异，揭示了数字经济可能加剧该群体内部不平等的风险。This study empirically examines the impact of the digital economy on the urbanization of China’s floating population, utilizing data from the 2017 National Migrant Population Dynamic Monitoring Survey and prefecture-level city statistics. Drawing upon established methodologies, we constructed a Digital Economy Development Index at the prefecture-level city scale and developed a novel, multi-dimensional evaluation system for floating population urbanization comprising six dimensions and eleven tertiary indicators. The findings reveal that: First, the development level of the digital economy exerts a significant positive effect on the urbanization process of the floating population. Second, the generally low and highly heterogeneous educational attainment within the floating population constitutes a key barrier to their integration into urban life and to narrowing the gap with local residents. Simultaneously, this educational disparity leads to uneven access to digital dividends among the floating population, thereby potentially widening internal differences in urbanization levels. This highlights the risk that digital economic development may exacerbate existing inequalities within this group.