Author(s)

Guang-hai TANG, Wen-li TANG and Hui ZENG

Corresponding Author

Guang-hai TANG

Abstract

By selecting relevant data of e-commerce and residents’ disposable income from China’s 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions except Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan from 2013 to 2019 for a panel data model testing, the paper analyzes the driving effect of e-commerce on Chinese residents’ income growth. It concludes that the driving effect of e-commerce on residents’ income growth is significant. For every 1% increase in e-commerce transaction volume, residents’ income growth effect increases by 4.565%; Indicators such as e-commerce delivery, regional economic environment, education investment and technology investment have a major impact on residents’ income; whereas the smartphone penetration rate and unemployment rate have a slight impact on residents’ income. The influence of e-commerce on residents’ income differs considerably across regions, with Eastern China being impacted more significantly than Western China. Therefore, promoting the development of e-commerce in the western and central regions is of great significance. It is suggested that China needs to strengthen the construction of its e-commerce infrastructure and service system at present. The central and western regions, in particular, should boost the investment in e-commerce infrastructure, service system, policy support, logistics and express delivery, e-commerce education and e-commerce technology so as to promote the income growth of local residents.

Keywords

E-Commerce, Residents' Income, Panel Data Model, Regional Differences