Journal of Statistics and Information

Based on the input-output perspective of economic systems, the index measurement system of digital economy development level is constructed from five dimensions: digital infrastructure, digital innovation, digital governance, digital industrialization and industrial digitization by combining the fuzzy set idea, and the weights are determined and compiled with the help of the vertical and horizontal pull-off method for China's provincial digital economy development index from 2012 to 2019.Based on this, the modified gravitation model is used to measure the spatial correlation intensity of the provincial digital economy development level, and the social network analysis is used to reveal the overall shape, internal structure, and evolutionary trend of the digital economy correlation network.The results are shown as follows.(1) The overall development of the digital economy across the country is on the rise, but the “Matthew effect” and “digital divide” are obvious, with the level of digital economy development decreasing from the eastern coast to the western inland.(2) The initial formation of a network of digital economy linkages, the agglomeration and spillover effects in various regions have gradually increased, and the mobility of digital resource elements in the province has been greatly enhanced.(3) Guangdong, Jiangsu, Beijing and other eastern provinces, as structural hole occupiers, have information and resource control advantages in the development of the digital economy, and Henan, Shaanxi and Sichuan, which have faster rate of effective scale and limit system enhancement, are seen as potential occupiers of structural holes.(4) The development of the digital economy is characterized by a clear aggregation of small groups, with four cohesive subgroups formed at the provincial level, and the linkage within the subgroups is significantly stronger than the external influence.(5) Due to geographical location, climatic conditions and other factors, there is less communication among members within the Northwest subgroup, and the density within its subgroup is lower than that of the whole network, and its internal digital economy tie needs to be further strengthened.The research findings have important implications for promoting the construction of a new pattern of digital economy development in China.