Analysis of Regional Inequality from Sectoral Structure, Spatial Policy and Economic Development: A Case Study of Chongqing, China

Xiaosu Ye,Qiu Xie,Lie Ma,Jiantao Chen,Kunhui Ye

doi:10.3390/su9040633

Xiaosu Ye, Qiu Xie + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su9040633

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Abstract

Inequality is a large challenge to sustainable development, and achieving equity has already become one of the top goals in sustainable development of the UN’s post-2015 development agenda. Located in the western inland region of China, Chongqing is characterized by “big city, big countryside, big mountain area, big reservoir area” and its regional inequality is more serious. This paper is to explore Chongqing’s regional inequality from sectoral structure, spatial policy and economic development by constructing, decomposing, and calculating the inter-county per capita GDP Gini Coefficient. Through this study, it is mainly found that: (1) Chongqing has experienced a dynamic evolution from unbalanced development to balanced development, and its regional inequality has been decreasing steadily in recent years; (2) the Tertiary Sector gradually contributes most to regional inequality; (3) inequality between regions is the main section of regional inequality; (4) the spatial policy as per regional division of Five Function Areas is more rational than the division of the main urban and suburb areas; and (5) economic development is the best way to reduce the regional inequality. Based on the results of empirical study and the reality of Chongqing, targeted and systematic policy suggestions are proposed to reduce regional inequality and promote sustainable development.

Highlights

Sustainability is a broad topic with multiple dimensions, covering economy, society, environment, and resources
The empirical results of this study show that the level of regional inequality in Chongqing (RIC) has been already narrowing in recent years, which demonstrates that the regional balanced and sustainable development strategies have already achieved a certain effect
Given that regional inequality is a large challenge to sustainable development, this paper analyzes regional inequality from the perspective of sectoral structure, spatial policies, and economic development by constructing and decomposing the Gini Coefficient

Summary

Introduction

Sustainability is a broad topic with multiple dimensions, covering economy, society, environment, and resources. Equity is an important factor to promote sustainable development, in particular, which can enhance the flexibility of the economy [4], help to gain the right of judicial justice [2], promote social harmony and stability [5], as well protect environment [6] and biodiversity [7]. Economic inequality is an obstacle to the sustainable growth [2,10,11], socially, it undermines social stability [12,13], politically, it depresses popular participation in politics and public benefit activities [14], environmentally, it encourages poor people to overuse natural resources, which leads to pollution and biodiversity loss [15]. Inequality is a big problem that must receive serious attention and be solved for sustainable development [17] and equity became one of the top sustainable development goals of the UN’s post-2015 development agenda [1]

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