IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v60y2024ics1544612323012163.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does digital finance alleviate household consumption inequality? Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Zhe
  • Li, Xiaojing
  • Zhang, Jizhou
  • Xia, Xianli

Abstract

The advent of digital finance has mitigated financial constraints for residents in rural areas, offering a new avenue to reduce consumption inequality. This paper examines the relationship between the use of digital finance and consumption inequality based on data from the China Household Finance Survey. The results reveal that digital finance has a negative effect on consumption inequality, with a more significant impact on reducing developmental consumption inequality for families. The estimations of testing the potential mechanisms indicate that digital finance mitigates income disparities and heightens risk preferences, thereby reducing consumption inequality among rural residents.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Zhe & Li, Xiaojing & Zhang, Jizhou & Xia, Xianli, 2024. "Does digital finance alleviate household consumption inequality? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:60:y:2024:i:c:s1544612323012163
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104844
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612323012163
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104844?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. de Moraes, Claudio Oliveira & Roquete, Raphael Moses & Gawryszewski, Gustavo, 2023. "Who needs cash? Digital finance and income inequality," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 84-93.
    2. Laurent E. Calvet & John Y. Campbell & Paolo Sodini, 2009. "Fight or Flight? Portfolio Rebalancing by Individual Investors," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(1), pages 301-348.
    3. Wang, Zhimao & Huang, Xucheng, 2023. "Understanding the role of digital finance in facilitating consumer online purchases: An empirical investigation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    4. Cosmin L. Ilut & Martin Schneider, 2014. "Ambiguous Business Cycles," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(8), pages 2368-2399, August.
    5. Zhang, Dongyang, 2023. "Can digital finance empowerment reduce extreme ESG hypocrisy resistance to improve green innovation?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    6. Jiang, Airu, 2023. "The impact of digital finance on online shopping," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    7. Thomas Dohmen & Armin Falk & David Huffman & Uwe Sunde & Jürgen Schupp & Gert G. Wagner, 2011. "Individual Risk Attitudes: Measurement, Determinants, And Behavioral Consequences," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 522-550, June.
    8. Uddin, Gazi Salah & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Arouri, Mohamed & Teulon, Frédéric, 2014. "Financial development and poverty reduction nexus: A cointegration and causality analysis in Bangladesh," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 405-412.
    9. Beck, Thorsten & Pamuk, Haki & Ramrattan, Ravindra & Uras, Burak R., 2018. "Payment instruments, finance and development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 162-186.
    10. Gradín, Carlos & Wu, Binbin, 2020. "Income and consumption inequality in China: A comparative approach with India," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Hu, Debao & Zhai, Chenzhe & Zhao, Sibo, 2023. "Does digital finance promote household consumption upgrading? An analysis based on data from the China family panel studies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    12. Xu, Yueli & Peng, Zhan & Sun, Zhaojun & Zhan, Huanqi & Li, Shuai, 2022. "Does digital finance lessen credit rationing?—Evidence from Chinese farmers," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    13. Zhu, Kehan & Zhou, Yuhong & Zhao, Jingmei, 2021. "Guaxi and financial exclusion: Empirical evidence from households in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    14. Hongbin Cai & Yuyu Chen & Li-An Zhou, 2010. "Income and Consumption Inequality in Urban China: 1992-2003," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(3), pages 385-413, April.
    15. Gazi Salah Uddin & Muhammed Shahbaz & Mohamed Arouri & Frédéric Teulon, 2014. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction Nexus: A cointegration and causality analysis in Bangladesh," Working Papers 2014-291, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    16. Apeti, Ablam Estel, 2023. "Household welfare in the digital age: Assessing the effect of mobile money on household consumption volatility in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Wu, Jinshun & Wu, Luyao, 2023. "Impacts of digital inclusive finance on household entrepreneurship," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    18. Bovenberg, A.L. & Koijen, R.S.J. & Nijman, T.E. & Teulings, C.N., 2007. "Saving and investing over the life cycle and the role of collective pension funds," Other publications TiSEM 6eab1341-eda5-4f21-8c06-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    19. Wang, Jianqiu & Yin, Zhichao & Jiang, Jialing, 2023. "The effect of the digital divide on household consumption in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    20. Li, Jie & Wu, Yu & Xiao, Jing Jian, 2020. "The impact of digital finance on household consumption: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 317-326.
    21. Juan Luo & Bao-zhen Li, 2022. "Impact of Digital Financial Inclusion on Consumption Inequality in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 529-553, September.
    22. Zhao, Chunkai & Wu, Yaqian & Guo, Jianhao, 2022. "Mobile payment and Chinese rural household consumption," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    23. PU, Zhengning & FEI, Jinhua, 2022. "The impact of digital finance on residential carbon emissions: Evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 515-527.
    24. Gonzalo Paz Pardo & José Manuel Sánchez Santos, 2014. "Household Debt and Consumption Inequality: The Spanish Case," Economies, MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-24, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Yizi & Li, Lanyi, 2024. "Digital economy, industrial structure upgrading, and residents' consumption: Empirical evidence from prefecture-level cities in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 1045-1058.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Cheng & Zhu, Yuyao & Zhang, Limin, 2024. "Effect of digital inclusive finance on common prosperity and the underlying mechanisms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Ye, Xiang & Yue, Pengpeng, 2024. "What matters to reshaping consumption patterns in China? Digital inclusion and supply chain," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    3. Boou Chen & Chunkai Zhao, 2021. "Poverty reduction in rural China: Does the digital finance matter?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-27, December.
    4. Wang, Yizi & Li, Lanyi, 2024. "Digital economy, industrial structure upgrading, and residents' consumption: Empirical evidence from prefecture-level cities in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 1045-1058.
    5. Zhou, Qiuyang, 2024. "Does the digital economy promote the consumption structure upgrading of urban residents? Evidence from Chinese cities," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 543-551.
    6. Song, Yunxing & Gong, Yuanyuan & Song, Yan & Chen, Xiaohui, 2024. "Exploring the impact of digital inclusive finance on consumption volatility: Insights from household entrepreneurship and income volatility," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    7. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Lou, Runchi & Wang, Fuhao, 2023. "Digital financial inclusion and poverty alleviation: Evidence from the sustainable development of China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 418-434.
    8. Isaac Appiah-Otoo & Na Song, 2021. "The Impact of Fintech on Poverty Reduction: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Hao, Yunping & Zhang, Bing, 2024. "The impact of digital financial usage on resident’s income inequality in China: An empirical analysis based on CHFS data," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. Qian, Zongxin & Tu, Yonghong & Zhou, Zinan, 2022. "The impact of financial development on the income and consumption levels of China’s rural residents," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    11. Zhao, Chunkai & Wu, Yaqian & Guo, Jianhao, 2022. "Mobile payment and Chinese rural household consumption," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Yingzi Chen & Wanwan Yang & Yaqi Hu, 2022. "Internet Development, Consumption Upgrading and Carbon Emissions—An Empirical Study from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-23, December.
    13. Guo, Dong & Li, Lin & Pang, Guoguang, 2024. "How does digital inclusive finance affect county's common prosperity: Theoretical and empirical evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 340-358.
    14. Ayad Hicham, 2017. "Financial Development and Poverty Reduction Nexus: A Co-Integration and Causality Analysis in Selected Arabic Countries," Academic Journal of Economic Studies, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accountancy Bucharest,"Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University Bucharest, vol. 3(2), pages 28-35, June.
    15. Wang, Yuyu & Zhao, Zengli & Lu, Chen, 2024. "Does digital inclusive finance increase land rent? Evidence from rural China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 1025-1043.
    16. Tanjinul Hoque Mollah & Sharmin Shishir & Wahid Ullah & Takaaki Nihei, 2019. "Assessing NGOs micro-credit programs: a geo-spatial and socio-economic scenario from rural Bangladesh," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 66(2), pages 79-99, June.
    17. Olarewaju Odunayo Magret & Migiro Stephen Oseko & Sibanda Mabutho, 2018. "Dividend Payout, Retention Policy and Financial Performance in Commercial Banks: Any Causal Relationship?," Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Oeconomica, Sciendo, vol. 63(1), pages 37-62, April.
    18. Fisayo Fagbemi & Babafemi Oladejo & Opeoluwa A. Adeosun, 2020. "The Effectiveness of Poverty Alleviation Policy: Why is the Quality of Institutions the Bane in Nigeria?," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/099, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    19. Khurram Shehzad & Umer Zaman & Ana Ercília José & Emrah Koçak & Paulo Ferreira, 2021. "An Officious Impact of Financial Innovations and ICT on Economic Evolution in China: Revealing the Substantial Role of BRI," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.
    20. Luigi Guiso & Tullio Jappelli, 2020. "Investment in Financial Information and Portfolio Performance," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 87(348), pages 1133-1170, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:60:y:2024:i:c:s1544612323012163. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.