Digital Empowerment for High-Quality Growth of the Silver Economy——Mechanism Verification and Heterogeneity Analysis

Wei Yinming

School of Finance and Public Administration, Anhui University of Finance & Economics

Abstract：

Against the dual backdrop of China's deepening population aging and the accelerating implementation of the digital economy strategy, elucidating the relationship between the level of digitalization and the silver economy carries significant practical implications. Based on provincial panel data from 2014 to 2023, this paper constructs a Social Digital Development Index and a Silver Economy Development Index. Employing a fixed-effects model, mediation effect tests, and heterogeneity analysis, the study empirically investigates the impact of digitalization on the silver economy, its underlying mechanisms, and regional disparities. The findings reveal that the level of digitalization exerts a significant and robust promoting effect on the silver economy, with notable regional and structural heterogeneity—the effect being more pronounced in the eastern region and in areas with a lower old-age dependency ratio. Mechanism analysis indicates that digitalization primarily drives the development of the silver economy through two channels: "enhancing per capita income" and "increasing per capita medical expenditure."

Key Words：

level of social digitalization; silver economy; per capita income; per capita medical expenditure