2023, 38(5): 57-74.
Abstract:
The deep empowerment of traditional finance by financial technology has important research value and broad prospects, and injects new momentum for rural residents to reduce poverty and increase their income. Using panel data of 290 cities in China from 2011 to 2021, this study empirically tests the impact of traditional finance and digital financial inclusion on the income of rural residents. The results show: firstly, traditional finance has not played its role as an effective service provider, and its impact on rural residents' income is limited and weak; secondly, digital inclusive finance significantly contributes to the growth of rural residents' income, and its income-increasing effect is significant compared with traditional finance, with the depth of use and the degree of digitization having significant income-increasing effects, but the effect of the breadth of coverage being not significant; thirdly, there is a synergistic and complementary relationship between traditional finance and digital inclusive finance in promoting income growth of rural residents, mainly reflected in the positive moderating effect of traditional finance development on poverty reduction and income growth of digital inclusive finance; fourthly, the income effects of traditional finance and digital inclusive finance on rural residents are non-linear and stage-specific, and show a stepwise increase with the upgrade of economic development and urbanization level. Digital inclusive finance significantly weakens the threshold effect constraint and have an absolute advantage in the income-raising effect. Therefore, it is recommended to promote the digital transformation of traditional finance and the coordinated interaction of the two financial models to help rural residents' income growth and the smooth realization of common prosperity.