数字时代的消费不平等

摘要

This paper studies how digitalization affects consumption inequality. We assemble a novel dataset of digital technology in consumption, and establish that high-income households consume a larger share of digitally produced products than low-income households. We show that these products become relatively cheaper, which benefits rich households and contributes to consumption inequality. In a structural model with heterogeneous workers and nonhomothetic preferences, we quantify the impact of digitalization on consumption inequality. The model demonstrates that a U-shaped income polarization translates into J-shaped welfare changes, as the price effect mutes income gains at the bottom while amplifying them at the top.