Statistical Measurement of Zhuhai's Digital Economy Development Level Based on Entropy Method

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the increasing popularity of mobile internet and the expanding commercialization of fifth-generation mobile communications (5G), the digital economy is booming with continuous innovations and integrations of internet technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data. As one of the special economic zones, Zhuhai has emphasized in its work report the need to "vigorously develop the digital economy." Based on panel data from Zhuhai and its surrounding cities from 2018 to 2022, this paper empirically measures the level of digital economic development in Zhuhai and conducts a deep analysis of its development from the perspective of temporal characteristics. The research results indicate that: (1) Among various evaluation indicators of the digital economy, the output value of the communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries (in tens of thousands of yuan) has the greatest impact on the development of the digital economy, followed by the total volume of telecommunications business (in tens of thousands of yuan). The number of internet broadband users (in tens of thousands of households) and FTTH/O fiber-optic access users (in tens of thousands of households) have relatively smaller impacts. (2) In terms of temporal characteristics, the annual growth rate of Zhuhai's digital economy exhibits a steady decline, which differs from that of surrounding cities. (3) Regarding spatial characteristics, the development of the digital economy is highly unbalanced among different cities in Guangdong, and there is still a significant gap between Zhuhai and its surrounding cities. Based on the measurement results, countermeasures and suggestions are proposed to enhance the digital economic development in Zhuhai.