What Kind of Digital Economy Can Better Promote the Coordinated Development of Urban–Rural Integration and Common Prosperity? Evidence from China

Urban–rural integration and common prosperity are two major strategic goals in China that constitute the dual driving force for the transformation of urban–rural relations in the process of Chinese modernization. The digital economy provides new momentum for the simultaneous advancement and mutual collaboration of those working to achieve them. This study draws on panel data covering 30 Chinese provinces over the period 2013–2024 and employs a mixed-method approach that combines the entropy weight method, coupling the coordination degree model, geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR), and dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). It systematically investigates how the coupling-coordination degree between urban–rural integration and common prosperity has evolved over time and space, as well as the multiple pathways through which the digital economy drives this coupling coordination. The study found the following: (1) The average coupling-coordination degree rose from 0.467 to 0.580, with a clear spatial divide, specifically, high in the eastern seaboard and centrally administered cities, versus depressed levels in the west and southwest. (2) The significant positive driving effect of the digital economy is significant, with a more prominent marginal effect in underdeveloped areas. (3) The study reveals three interchangeable paths: technology–organization synergy, organization–environment linkage, and all-encompassing driving, with digital resources serving as the core common condition across all pathways. The study offers both theoretical and empirical support for designing digital economy policies tailored to local conditions, thereby advancing urban–rural integration and common prosperity, and thereby advancing sustainable development in China and offering valuable lessons for other developing countries.