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The declining trend in China's fertility rate is very pronounced, and since 2023, the population has entered a phase of negative growth, significantly constraining economic development. At the same time, income inequality, which creates many problems, remains a serious issue. Existing research does not discuss the impact of income inequality on fertility rates in China currently. This paper depends on both macro and micro perspectives to examine the relationship between income inequality and fertility. We used the macro perspective to study the impact of urban-rural income inequality on the birth rate. The results show that the widening income gap between urban and rural areas will reduce the birth rate, but this effect declines with increasing of the birth rate; this negative effect is the strongest in the eastern region and the weakest in the western region. We used micro perspective to study the effect of the Gini coefficient on fertility motivation. It was found that for every one percent increase of the Gini coefficient, the fertility motivation decreased by about 0.08%, indicating that income inequality also impacts fertility behavior negatively. Comparing different income groups, income inequality has no impact on the fertility motivation of low-income groups, but has a significant negative and positive impact, respectively, on the middle and high-income groups. The mediating effect model shows that income inequality can negatively affect fertility behavior by reducing social trust and subjective well-being. Therefore, the empirical results from China suggest that income inequality negatively affects fertility behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unbalanced and insufficient development is a prominent problem in China's period of economic transformation, and an accurate grasp of the current situation and evolutionary trend of innovation and economic development is of great significance in finding a solution and promoting regional coordinated development. This paper introduces the framework of functional data analysis to the study of both innovation and economic development in China, examining its spatial dynamic distribution and convergence characteristic in greater depth. Empirical results revealed the following. (1) Significant regional differences exist in the absolute level of China's innovation development, with a balanced improvement in the development speed and growth potential. Significant differences exist in the absolute level and speed of economic development, but not in the potential energy of development as reflected by acceleration. (2) The σ(t) function of nationwide and regional innovation development shows a downward trend. There is σ(t) convergence in economic development nationwide and in the northeastern, eastern, and western regions, but the regional disparities in economic development within the six central provinces have not yet been effectively mitigated. (3) Nationwide and regional innovation development are in a state of β(t) convergence. There is significant β(t) convergence in the nationwide economic development, with a transition point from divergence to convergence in the northeastern, eastern, and western regions. However, the β(t) function of economic development in the central region shows a region-wide divergence. The findings of this paper have important policy implications for recognizing the balance and disparities in innovation and economic development among regions in China and promoting coordinated regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2016) data, this study empirically tests the impact of population aging on household consumption. The results show that population aging promotes the basic living consumption expenditure of most households and inhibits the enjoyment or development consumption expenditure of most households. At the same time, low-level consumer families are more affected by population aging and income than high-level consumer families. Moreover, the impact of population aging on developmental consumption varies among families with different income levels, especially in medical and health expenditures. The higher the family income level, the smaller the impact. Finally, this study puts forward suggestions such as improving the social security mechanism, improving the level of education, releasing the consumption potential of the elderly, improving the consumption level, and promoting consumption upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a fixed effect model is established to empirically examine the effect of population aging on consumption in China. Research analyzing the influence mechanism of population aging on consumption quantity has yet to determine the effect of population aging on consumption quantity under various conditions. Panel data from 31 provinces and cities in China were analyzed, with the old-age dependency ratio as the main control variable, and considering income, economic development level (GDP), and consumer price index. The samples are divided into nationwide, as well as eastern, central, and western regions, for modeling and discussion. The results show that population aging negatively affects consumption quantity. In response to the negative impact, we propose relevant policies and suggestions for enhancing consumption quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of innovation on industrial upgrading from theoretical and practical perspectives. In terms of theory, based on the endogenous growth theory model, a multi-sectoral growth model is constructed to portray the inherent logical connection between innovation and industrial structure upgrading. The results show that innovation has an important impact on industrial structure upgrading. Industrial structure upgrading depends on differences in innovation level among industries and the substitution relationship of finished products in the industry. From an empirical perspective, based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2005 to 2017, the spatial effect of innovation on industrial upgrading was analyzed using the spatial Durbin model. The results show that innovation and industrial structure upgrading has significant spatial correlation effects, and regional innovation can drive China's industrial upgrading. Meanwhile, the space spillover effect is an important factor that cannot be ignored in industrial upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the method of unidirectional causality measure, this paper analyzes the long-term and short-term dynamic effects and causality between China's population aging and technological innovation. According to the empirical results, first, the aging of the population will eventually have a continuous long-term impact, although it has little effect on the technology innovation in the short term. Second, when compared with the old-age dependency ratio, the child-raising ratio has a remarkable unidirectional causal effect on the technological innovation in the short term. Third, when compared with the old-age dependency ratio, the total dependency ratio has a stronger impact on the scientific and technological innovation ability, which is a long-term effect. The finding indicates that the elderly population and the children's population have a continuous impact on China's scientific and technological innovation, that is, the increase in social support burden affects the technological innovation for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]