Quality of life of China’s population and factors influencing it

Authors

  • Ning Jing Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus
  • Petr S. Liameshchanka Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

Keywords:

quality of life, spatial effects, socio-economic factors, innovation, digital economy, China
Supporting Agencies
This research was carried out with the financial support of the China Scholarship Council (grant No. 202108400024).

Abstract

Using panel data from 31 Chinese administrative-territorial units for the period 2014–2022, we examine the determinants and spatial correlations of quality of life. A comprehensive quality of life index was compiled, and the influence of key factors on it was empirically assessed using the Durbin spatial model. It is shown that quality of life across China exhibits significant positive spatial autocorrelation. Investment in innovation, the development of digital inclusive finance, and mobile internet penetration not only have a significant beneficial impact on quality of life at the local level but also generate positive interregional effects. Conversely, an increase in the share of budget expenditures and the development of electronic commerce are negatively associated with quality of life, reflecting potential institutional and structural constraints at certain stages of country’s development. This study deepens the empirical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the spatial formation of quality of life, and presents policy-relevant ideas for developing differentiated strategies for regional socio-economic development in China.

Author Biographies

  • Ning Jing, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    postgraduate student at the department of international political economy, faculty of economics

  • Petr S. Liameshchanka, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    doctor of science (economics), full professor; head of the department of international political economy, faculty of economics

References

  1. 方坤, 周丹, 卫平民. 国内外生活质量评价研究综述. 江苏卫生事业管理. 2016;2:133–135 = Фан Кунь, Чжоу Дань, Вэй Пинминь. Обзор отечественных и зарубежных исследований оценки качества жизни. Управление здравоохранением провинции Цзянсу. 2016;2:133–135.
  2. Митрошин АА, Шитова ЮЮ, Шитов ЮА. Методы оценки качества жизни населения и социально-экономической дифференциации территорий. Москва: Инфра-М; 2024. 94 с. DOI: 10.12737/monography_5a129974a65cd9.88159942.
  3. Sen A. Capability and well-being. In: Nussbaum M, Sen A, editors. The quality of life. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1993. p. 30–53. DOI: 10.1093/0198287976.003.0003.
  4. Easterlin RA, Angelescu L. Modern economic growth and quality of life: cross-sectional and time series evidence. In: Land KC, Michalos AC, Sirgy MJ, editors. Handbook of social indicators and quality of life research. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands; 2012. p. 113–136. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2421-1_6.
  5. Durand M. The OECD better life initiative: How’s life? And the measurement of well-being. Review of Income and Wealth. 2015;61(1):4–17. DOI: 10.1111/roiw.12156.
  6. Zhu Y, Tian D, Yan F. Effectiveness of entropy weight method in decision-making. Mathematical Problems in Engineering. 2020;1:3564835. DOI: 10.1155/2020/3564835.
  7. Li W, Wang H, Zhang L, Runchen L. Digital inclusive finance, consumer consumption and high-quality economic development. Plos One. 2023;18(8):e0285695. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285695.
  8. Wang X, Gao P, Song Ch, Cheng Ch. Use of entropy in developing SDG-based indices for assessing regional sustainable development: a provincial case study of China. Entropy. 2020;22(4):406. DOI: 10.3390/e22040406.
  9. Bilan Y, Mishchuk H, Samoliuk N, Yurchyk H. Impact of income distribution on social and economic well-being of the state. Sustainability. 2020;12(1):429. DOI: 10.3390/su12010429.
  10. Андреева ИА, Спиридонов СП. Человеческий капитал – главный фактор формирования и развития инновационной экономики и повышения качества жизни. Социально-экономические явления и процессы. 2015;10(1):7–10. EDN: TNESGJ.
  11. Liu H, Gao H, Huang Q. Better government, happier residents? Quality of government and life satisfaction in China. Social Indicators Research. 2020;147:971–990. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-019-02172-2.
  12. 姜安印, 陈卫强. 中国居民生活质量测度—高质量发展框架下的分析. 统计与决策. 2020;13:5–9. DOI: 10.13546/j.cnki.tjyjc.2020.13.001 = Цзян Аньинь, Чэнь Вэйцян. Измерение качества жизни населения Китая: анализ в рамках высококачественного развития. Статистика и принятие решений. 2020;13:5–9. DOI: 10.13546/j.cnki.tjyjc.2020.13.001.
  13. Ma Y, Wu X, Shui J. The impact of the digital economy on the cost of living of the population: evidence from 160 cities in China. Cogent Economics & Finance. 2023;11(2):2246007. DOI: 10.1080/23322039.2023.2246007.
  14. Jin X, Lyu K. The impact of digital economy on emerging employment trends: insights from the China family panel survey (CFPS). Finance Research Letters. 2024;64:105418. DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2024.105418.
  15. Xiong X, He W, Li L. Digital economy, basic public services, and regional income gap. Journal of Social and Economic Development. 2025;27:307. DOI: 10.1007/s40847-025-00471-8.
  16. Fan X, Ding G, Long S, Dong Y, Yan J. Digital divide or dividend? Exploring the impact of digital economy on regional gaps of high-quality economic development in China using relational data model. International Review of Economics & Finance. 2025;101:104222. DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2025.104222.
  17. Liu Y, Ma Z, Xu Y. How does the digital economy affect ecological well-being performance? Evidence from three major urban agglomerations in China. Ecological Indicators. 2023;157:111261.
  18. 万广华, 吕嘉滢. 中国高质量发展: 基于人民幸福感的指标体系构建及测度. 江苏社会科学. 2021;1:52–61. DOI: 10.13858/j.cnki.cn32-1312/c.2021.01.021 = Вань Гуанхуа, Люй Цзяин. Высококачественное развитие Китая: построение и измерение системы показателей на основе ощущения счастья населения. Общественные науки Цзянсу. 2021;1:52–61. DOI: 10.13858/j.cnki.cn32-1312/c.2021.01.021.
  19. Кадочникова ЕИ. Конвергенция экономического роста и цифровизация домохозяйств: пространственный анализ взаимосвязи на региональных панельных данных. Актуальные проблемы экономики и права. 2020;14(3):487–507. DOI: 10.21202/1993-047X.14.2020.3.487-507.
  20. Мосалёв АИ. Оптимальные пространственные форматы межрегионального экономического сотрудничества в рамках инновационной экономики. Экономика региона. 2022;18(3):638–652. DOI: 10.17059/ekon.reg.2022-3-2.
  21. LeSage J, Pace RK. Introduction to spatial econometrics. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2009. 340 p. DOI: 10.1201/9781420064254.

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2026-07-09

Issue

No. 1 (2026): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Economics

Section

I. Health, Education, and Welfare

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of the Belarusian State University. Economics

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The authors who are published in this journal agree to the following:

  1. The authors retain copyright on the work and provide the journal with the right of first publication of the work on condition of license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial. 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
  2. The authors retain the right to enter into certain contractual agreements relating to the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g. post it on the institutional repository, publication in the book), with the reference to its original publication in this journal.
  3. The authors have the right to post their work on the Internet (e.g. on the institutional store or personal website) prior to and during the review process, conducted by the journal, as this may lead to a productive discussion and a large number of references to this work. (See The Effect of Open Access.)

How to Cite

[1]
Jing, N. and Liameshchanka, P.S. 2026. Quality of life of China’s population and factors influencing it. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Economics. 1 (Jul. 2026), 4–20.