Digital Inclusive Finance and Commercial Bank Credit Risk: Evidence from Listed Banks in China

Abstract

The rapid development of contemporary digital inclusive finance has a significant impact on the credit risk of commercial banks, and this paper investigates the potential relationship between digital inclusive finance and the line credit risk of commercial banks based on the panel data of 42 listed commercial banks in China from 2012 to 2024. The conclusions of the study are as follows: (1) The development of digital inclusive finance has enhanced the credit risk of commercial banks. (2) With the enhancement of digital inclusive finance, the marginal impact on the credit risk of commercial banks decreases. (3) Digital inclusive finance further intensifies the credit risks of commercial banks through the partial intermediary effect of cross-industry competition and inter-industry competition. (4) Economic situation and policy uncertainty play a positive moderating role in the relationship between digital inclusive finance and the credit risk of commercial banks. Finally, the paper puts forward relevant policy suggestions, making marginal contributions to China's financial system and regulation in the new era.