STUDY ON EVALUATION OF COUPLING AND COORDINATION BETWEEN RURAL PENSION SUPPLY CAPACITY AND DIGITAL ECONOMY

Abstract

Abstract. This paper explores the coordinated development of the digital economy and rural elderly care service supply. Based on panel data from 31 provinces in China in 2021, a comprehensive index system for the digital economy and rural elderly care supply was constructed and analyzed using the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model. The study found that there are significant regional differences in the comprehensive level of digital economy and rural elderly care service supply. The eastern coastal regions (such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) have shown outstanding performance in digital economy development and rural elderly care service supply, while the western regions (such as Xizang, Qinghai, and Ningxia) lag behind relatively. The coupling coordination degree generally showed a positive trend, but the level of coordinated development among regions was obviously different. The eastern region had entered the stage of good or high-quality coordination, while the western region was still in the state of serious or mild imbalance. This paper proposes to adhere to regional differentiation policies, implement targeted measures, deepen village and community collaboration, promote resource integration, improve the digital literacy of the elderly, bridge the digital divide, build a cross-regional linkage system, and promote resource sharing to improve the coordinated development of rural elderly care and digital economy.