We explore the reasons behind the recent surge in bank branch closures through the lens of digital finance.Our empirical analysis,matching the index of digital financial inclusion with bank branch licensing data,reveals that the advancement of digital finance has contributed to an increasing number of bank branch closures.Regarding the mechanisms,while the development of digital finance directly leads to these closures by reducing bank branch performance,it is the displacement effect of digital finance on tra-ditional banking activities that stands as the fundamental cause.This phenomenon is more pronounced in cities with a lower proportion of elderly residents and higher average educational attainment.
万方数据
维普
