Measurement and analysis of the digitalization level in China’s mineral resources industry

Abstract As global digitalization accelerates, the mineral resources industry is undergoing profound transformation. As a foundational and strategic sector, its digital upgrading is essential for China’s high-quality economic development and for safeguarding the security of global industrial chains. Within a growth accounting framework, this study develops a digital measurement method tailored to the characteristics of the mineral resources industry and conducts a systematic empirical analysis using data from 2002 to 2023. The results show that the level of digitalization in China’s mineral resources industry has steadily increased, with the growth rate of digital value added significantly exceeding that of overall industry value added. At the same time, notable internal disparities persist: mining and beneficiation sectors exhibit higher levels of digitalization than smelting and refining sectors. Among them, oil and gas extraction as well as coal mining and beneficiation have progressed most rapidly, while metallic mineral mining and beneficiation lag behind. Further decomposition of the Theil index reveals that digital disparities are primarily driven by intra-industry differences, which show a gradual convergence over time. This convergence reflects the diffusion of digital technologies and the presence of catch-up effects. This study proposes a measurement framework suited to the sector’s specific features, identifies the structure and evolution of digital disparities, and provides empirical evidence for understanding digital transformation in China’s mineral resources industry, with implications for other resource-based economies.