Effect and Mechanism of the New Quality Productive Forces on Common Prosperity

As a new form of productivity derived from informatization and intelligent production conditions, the new quality productive forces have an important impact on achieving common prosperity. Based on the provincial panel data of China from 2012 to 2022, this paper empirically analyzes the effect and mechanism of the new quality productive forces on common prosperity. The results show that the development of the new quality productive forces play a significant role in promoting common prosperity. During the study period, the "rich" effect, rather than the "sharing" effect, predominantly contributes to common prosperity. Mechanism analysis shows that new quality productive forces indirectly promote common prosperity through the upgrading of labor force skills and increase entrepreneurial activity, and the good business environment plays a significant positive moderating role. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of new quality productive forces on common prosperity vary based on time, geographic location, and the level of common prosperity. The effect of new quality productive forces development on common prosperity is more pronounced in samples from the period when the new quality productive forces develop, the eastern region, regions along the HU Huanyong Population Line, and the southeast, as well as in samples with a high level of common prosperity. The new quality productive forces provide new momentum for realizing high-quality economic development and modernization with Chinese characteristics. Fully leveraging the diffusivity and permeability of new quality productive forces can improve residents' income and living standards, and will become an effective path to promoting the process of common prosperity in China in the era.