Research on the Spatial Distribution Pattern and Influencing Factors of Digital Economy Development in China

The spatial heterogeneity of the influences of various driving factors on the digital economy restricts the further development of regional coordination. This paper constructs an index system for measuring the development level of the digital economy from the three dimensions of infrastructure construction, digital application and digital industry development. Using the entropy method to measure the development level of the digital economy in each region in 2018 and based on the theory of economic growth and new economic geography, a theoretical model of the influences of input factors, technological progress and institutional changes on China’s digital economy is established. Combined with Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model analysis, the spatial distribution pattern of China’s digital economy and its influencing factors are discussed. The results show that there is a large gap in the development level of the digital economy in the eight comprehensive economic regions, and the development level of the digital economy presents a significant spatial correlation in space. The driving patterns of input factors, technological progress and institutional changes to the spatial distribution of the digital economy show obvious spatial differentiation. This study provides important referential value for promoting the coordinated development of the regional digital economy.