Measurement of the Development Level of Digital Economy and Analysis of Regional Differences in Henan Province

Based on the conceptual framework of the OECD digital economy, this study identifies the formative elements of the digital economy from the evolution of the information economy, Internet economy, and digital economy. It constructs an evaluation index system for the digital economy development level, measures the value added of the digital economy industry using the BEA accounting method, assigns weights using the longitudinal and horizontal scatter degree method, and conducts empirical analysis using descriptive statistics, natural breaks classification, Theil index, and Moran's I index. The research finds that: From 2017 to 2021, the development level of the digital economy in Henan Province exhibited a year-on-year upward trend, with significant regional disparities. The overall difference showed a slight initial decrease followed by an increase. Inter-regional differences were the primary source of the overall difference, with an average contribution rate of 78.41 %, which expanded annually. A significant positive spatial correlation exists between regions. High-High (HH) promotion zones are mainly distributed in high-level areas centered on Zhengzhou, while Low-Low (LL) development zones primarily appear in southern and northeastern Henan. This research contributes to constructing and measuring a provincial-level digital economy indicator system, explores the characteristics and regional differences of provincial digital economies, and provides decision-making references for digital economy policy formulation and regional synergistic development.