Digitization and Multidimensional Relative Poverty in Rural Regions: A Theoretical Examination and China Practice

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of digitization on multidimensional relative poverty in rural areas using provincial panel data from China. The findings reveal that digitization significantly reduces rural multidimensional relative poverty, with indirect effects through farmers' income structures, rural industrial revitalization and urban–rural integration. Moreover, digitization demonstrates a positive spatial spillover effect, reducing multidimensional poverty in neighbouring regions. The mitigating effect of digitization on multidimensional relative poverty is more pronounced in the Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zones, regions with relatively flat terrain, and the eastern parts of China. This paper provides valuable theoretical insights and practical implications for advancing sustainable rural development and promoting shared prosperity.