Research on the Impact Mechanism and Spatial Effects of the Digital Economy on Regional Economic Resilience in the Yellow River Basin of China

Abstract

Against a backdrop of rising macroeconomic uncertainty, the digital economy has become a key driver of regional economic resilience. However, research on this relationship still requires further refinement for the Yellow River Basin, a special region characterized by ecological redline constraints and a dense concentration of resource-based cities. Using panel data from 78 prefecture-level cities over the period 2008–2019 and treating the global financial crisis as an exogenous shock, this study employs two-way fixed effects, mediation, and spatial Durbin models to examine the mechanisms and spatial patterns of the digital economy’s impact on economic resilience, while also incorporating heterogeneity analyses with regional characteristics of the Yellow River Basin for further investigation. The results show the following: (1) The digital economy expanded rapidly while resilience declined, with significant spatial divergence in both. (2) The digital economy positively affects resilience and is robust to various checks. (3) Industrial upgrading, innovation, and entrepreneurship serve as mediating channels. (4) The digital economy exerts spatial spillover effects on economic resilience at the basin-wide level. (5) The impact of the digital economy on resilience is moderated by ecological redline policies and resource dependence—western and resource-based cities gain the most, while eastern cities show negative spillovers from intensified factor competition. This study provides empirical evidence and policy insights for formulating differentiated digital transformation strategies in the Yellow River Basin.