The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Inclusive Green Growth : Evidence from 283 Cities in China

The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Inclusive Green Growth : Evidence from 283 Cities in China | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Inclusive Green Growth : Evidence from 283 Cities in China Wei Wang, Lixa Tao, Manyu Du, Yang Wang, Xiyue Zhang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7835670/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Promoting inclusive green growth (IGG) is crucial for global sustainable recovery. This study utilizes data from 283 cities in China spanning the years 2012 to 2023 to investigate the impact of digital inclusive finance (DIF) on IGG. The findings reveal that: (1) DIF significantly enhances IGG, with a more pronounced effect on "inclusiveness" than on "greenness". Additionally, the coverage breadth and usage depth of DIF play a key role in driving IGG. (2) The relationship between DIF and IGG is nonlinear; once both DIF and digital infrastructure exceed double threshold levels, the effectiveness of DIF continues to increase. (3) The promotional effect is more pronounced in eastern cities, specifically those located east of the Hu Huanyong Line, as well as in non-poverty areas, digital economy pilot zones, key environmental protection cities, and low-carbon pilot cities. (4) Green technological innovation, advanced industrial structures, and rural entrepreneurship are the primary channels of influence. The synergy between DIF and green financial tools, along with government environmental attention, can collectively advance IGG, with the synergistic effect of the former being stronger than that of the latter. This study enhances the understanding of the drivers of IGG and the economic consequences of DIF, while also offering practical implications for policymaking and implementation. Business and commerce/Economics Social science/Economics Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences Digital inclusive finance Inclusive green growth Cities China Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 23 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 28 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 12 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 24 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 06 Nov, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 26 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 26 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7835670","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":558879222,"identity":"231712bc-79ff-4dba-97c1-261c79c60c6e","order_by":0,"name":"Wei Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chongqing Technology and Business University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wei","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":558879230,"identity":"ce753db3-b701-4ca2-b633-9eec40ceb4f1","order_by":1,"name":"Lixa Tao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chongqing Technology and Business 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