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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2026, Vol. 25 Issue (6): 2242-2254    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.12.058
Section 3: Impacts and Effects Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
The impact of digital technology use on relocated households’ income stability in China

Mingyue Liu1*, Wenying Zhang2*, Huanguang Qiu3, Xiaolong Feng4#

1 Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

2 College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

3 School of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110136, China

4 College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China

 Highlights 
Digital technology use improves both income and income stability, with stronger effects at higher levels of use.
Information acquisition and human capital are important influence mechanisms.  
Digital literacy amplifies the positive impact of digital technology on income stability.
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摘要  确保易地扶贫搬迁户的收入稳定对于全面推进乡村振兴和实现共同富裕具有重要作用。现有研究多关注数字技术使用对农户收入的影响,却较少探讨数字技术如何影响农户收入稳定性。为弥补当前研究的不足,本文基于中国8省16县易地扶贫搬迁户的实地调研数据,采用普通最小二乘法(OLS)与倾向得分匹配法(PSM),实证分析了数字技术使用对搬迁户收入稳定性的影响。研究发现,数字技术使用不仅能显著提高搬迁户的收入水平,也能有效增强其收入稳定性,且使用程度越高,影响越明显。其作用机制主要依托于促进信息获取和提升人力资本两条路径。进一步分析表明,数字技术主要能够提升向下波动的搬迁家庭的收入稳定性,且该稳定效应在中部地区、农村安置区及受教育程度较高的群体中更为显著。此外,数字素养的提升会增强数字技术对收入稳定性的积极影响。这些发现可为决策者借助数字技术促进搬迁户收入稳定、推动共同富裕提供实证依据与参考价值。

Abstract  

Ensuring the income stability of relocated households is essential for advancing rural revitalization and achieving common prosperity.  While existing research has explored the impact of digital technology on income, few studies have addressed how digital technology use affects income stability.  To fill this gap, based on survey data from relocated households in 16 counties across 8 provincial-level regions in China, this study examines the impact of digital technology use on the income stability of relocated households using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Propensity Score Matching (PSM).  The results show that digital technology use improves both income and income stability, with stronger effects at higher levels of use.  This impact is driven by better access to information acquisition and enhanced human capital.  Additionally, digital technology helps stabilize the income of households facing downward volatility.  The income stabilizing effect is particularly significant among relocated households in central regions, rural resettlement areas, and those with higher education levels.  Furthermore, digital literacy amplifies the positive impact of digital technology on income stability.  These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to promote digital technology use to ensure the income stability of relocated households and foster common prosperity.

Keywords:  digital technology use       income stability       relocated households       digital literacy  
Received: 20 February 2025   Accepted: 03 December 2025 Online: 29 December 2025  
Fund: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72141307), the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, China (Y2024QC16), the Guizhou Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project, China (24GZYB36), and the 2115 Talent Development Program of China Agricultural University.
About author:  Mingyue Liu, E-mail: liumingyue@caas.cn; Wenying Zhang, E-mail: wenny@nwafu.edu.cn; #Correspondence Xiaolong Feng, Tel: +86-10-62737177, E-mail: xlfeng@cau.edu.cn *These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

Mingyue Liu, Wenying Zhang, Huanguang Qiu, Xiaolong Feng. 2026. The impact of digital technology use on relocated households’ income stability in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 25(6): 2242-2254.

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