Empowerment and Pathways of Digital Economy in Rural Revitalization: A Case Study of Low Urbanization Areas in China

Synergistic development is a pivotal force in advancing regional modernization. China has effectively promoted rural revitalization through the collaborative integration of various digital factors, thereby narrowing the urban–rural development gap and laying a solid foundation for achieving sustainable development. This study examines factors driving rural revitalization through the analysis of 193 cases in less urbanized Chinese regions from 2018 to 2022 using panel-data qualitative comparative analysis. This study identifies digital infrastructure as the key to rural development, while the importance of industrial digitalization is increasingly recognized. We found two combinations of the digital economy that can promote rural revitalization: one that links digital infrastructure with digital industry, and the other that combines digital infrastructure with data elementization. Moreover, we also analyzed how regions with different innovation capabilities and economic foundations should develop differentiated strategies to achieve rural revitalization. This research provides a scientific basis for various regions to formulate rural revitalization strategies that are in line with their own characteristics, which will help achieve the goal of regional sustainable development.