Research on the Coupling and Coordination between High Quality Development of Inclusive Finance and Rural Industrial Revitalization: Based on the Empirical Evidence of 16 Cities in Anhui

Promoting the coordinated development of high-quality inclusive finance and rural industrial revitalization is an important means of stimulating rural economic vitality and promoting common prosperity. Based on the coupling mechanism between high-quality development of inclusive finance and rural industrial revitalization, this study constructed an evaluation system for their coupling coordination. Using data from 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province from 2014 to 2024, and employing the coupling coordination model, spatial econometric model, and obstacle degree model, an empirical research of the coupling coordination degree and its influencing factors was conducted. The results showed that: (1) The overall level of coupling coordination between high-quality inclusive finance and rural industrial revitalization remained relatively low, but showed a stable upward trend over time, with a great influence from the development of high-quality inclusive finance. (2) Spatially, the pattern showed “high in the south, low in the north” and “faster in the south. slower in the north” differentiation, with significant positive spatial autocorrelation. (3) In terms of influencing factors, both transportation infrastructure and fiscal support for agriculture had significant promoting effects, with the former being more pronounced; the direct effect was greater than the indirect effect. (4) Regarding obstacle factors, the core obstacles to high-quality inclusive finance development lied in the coverage of inclusive finance and the degree of digitalization, while the obstacles to rural industrial revitalization were mainly the proportion of non-agricultural industries, the penetration rate of e-commerce channels for agricultural products, and the level of agricultural mechanization, with regional variations in the intensity of these effects. Accordingly, further efforts should be made to deepen integrated scenario innovation, optimize the layout by focusing on regional shortcomings in digital inclusive finance, and strengthen targeted policies at weak links in the development of rural industrial chains.