Temporal and spatial patterns, regional differences, and convergence characteristics of the coupling and coordination between digital villages and industrial revitalization

Industrial revitalization is the core task of rural revitalization. Promoting the integrated development of digital villages and industrial revitalization can not only accelerate the transformation and upgrading of rural industries but also promote the continuous deepening of digital villages through economies of scale. Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (excluding Xizang, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) from 2012 to 2023, this study applies the entropy method, the modified coupling coordination degree model, Moran’s I, the Dagum Gini coefficient, and spatial autocorrelation analysis to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal pattern, regional differences, and convergence characteristics of the integrated development between digital villages and industrial revitalization. The results show that: 1) the overall coupling coordination degree between digital villages and industrial revitalization in China has gradually increased from a low to a moderate level, showing a regionally tiered development pattern of “high in the east, moderate in the central, and low in the west”; 2) the coupling coordination degree exhibits significant positive spatial correlation and agglomeration effects, with overall regional disparities narrowing, while intra-regional differences tend to expand; and 3) the coupling coordination degree does not show σ convergence, while conditional β convergence is observed at the national level and in the eastern and central regions, and absolute β convergence is found only at the national level and in the western region, where the convergence speed is the fastest. The findings provide theoretical support and policy reference for promoting the deep integration and coordinated regional development of digital villages and industrial revitalization in China based on local conditions and categorized strategies.