The Economic Growth Effects of Digital Financial Inclusion : Evidence from Rural China

In recent years, the continuous development of digital inclusive finance has provided favorable opportunities to improve residents' consumption level and stimulate economic growth. According to the theory of financial development and deepening, this paper studies the mechanism and effect of digital financial inclusion on rural residents' consumption and economic growth. The results show that digital inclusive finance significantly promotes rural residents' consumption, and rural residents' consumption significantly promotes economic growth, that is, digital inclusive finance indirectly promotes economic growth by promoting rural residents' consumption. At the same time, digital financial inclusion can also directly promote economic growth, specifically, its breadth, depth of use, and degree of digitalization have diminished economic growth effects. When digital financial inclusion is at different levels of development, rural residents' consumption can affect economic growth nonlinearly. Therefore, we should continue to strengthen the grassroots service capacity of digital inclusive finance, reduce the entry threshold and consumption costs, optimize the service environment, and provide high-quality financial services for rural economic entities