Regional disparities, structural profiles, and dynamics of digital inclusion: evidence from provincial China

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Purpose As digital governance advances, digital inclusion increasingly depends not only on information and communication technology (ICT) access and skills but also on citizens’ effective engagement with digital public services. This study aims to examine the level, inequality and dynamic evolution of digital inclusion in the context of accelerating public service digitalization, with particular attention to digital public services as a critical transition stage in the inclusion process. Design/methodology/approach This study develops a four-dimensional framework of digital inclusion and constructs composite and dimension-specific indices using annual panel data for 31 provincial-level administrative units in Mainland China. Dagum Gini decomposition, K-means clustering and s- and ß-convergence analyses are used to examine regional disparities, structural typologies and dynamic convergence patterns. Findings The results show that although overall digital inclusion has improved, interprovincial disparities remain large and persistent, driven mainly by interregional differences and distributional overlap. Digital public services constitute the most unequal and limiting dimension, with pronounced gaps between service provision and actual use. Clustering and convergence analyses further reveal divergent provincial trajectories, indicating limited convergence and risks of path dependence. Originality/value This study conceptualizes digital inclusion as a multidimensional governance process linking ICT conditions, digital capability and usage intensity and digital public services with effective use, thereby bridging the analytical divide between ICT and e-government research. By integrating multidimensional measurement, inequality decomposition and dynamic convergence analysis, it provides a novel empirical framework for examining regional disparities and offers new evidence on how public service digitalization shapes substantive inclusion outcomes.