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Exploring the nexus between digital inclusive finance and sustainable economic growth in China: A systematic literature review (2014-2024)
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Xiaowan Liu, Khim-Sen Liew 
, Chin-Hong Puah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
This study addresses the growing challenge of aligning financial innovation with sustainability in China (Dong et al., 2024) by examining the relationship between digital inclusive finance (DIF) and sustainable economic growth (SEG). The purpose is to identify how DIF contributes to green technology adoption, financial inclusion, and environmental performance. Using the PRISMA 2020 framework (Page et al., 2021), 110 peer-reviewed studies (2014–2024) from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) were systematically reviewed and analyzed through bibliometric mapping in VOSviewer. Findings reveal that SEG is highly sensitive to DIF, with financial inclusion increasing by 10 percent, energy efficiency by 8 percent, and carbon emissions decreasing by 15 percent. Yet, issues such as endogeneity, regional disparity, digital illiteracy, and weak policy implementation constrain DIF’s potential. This study concludes that strengthening digital infrastructure, promoting financial literacy, and leveraging blockchain-based DIF tools can enhance sustainable outcomes. These findings provide actionable insights for advancing China’s sustainability agenda and global inclusive green growth strategies.
Keywords: Sustainable Economic Growth, Green Innovation, Digital Inclusive Finance, Digital Literacy
Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — X.L.; Methodology —K.-S.L.; Data curation — X.L. and K.-S.L.; Writing — Original draft — X.L.; Writing — Review & Editing — K.-S.L.; Supervision — C.-H.P.
Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
JEL Classification: G21, G28, O16, Q01, O32, Q56
Received: 30.07.2025
Revised: 12.11.2025; 06.01.2026; 04.02.2026
Accepted: 23.02.2026
Published online: 25.02.2026
How to cite this paper: Liu, X., Liew, K.-S., & Puah, C.-H. (2026). Exploring the nexus between digital inclusive finance and sustainable economic growth in China: A systematic literature review (2014-2024). Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review, 10(2), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgsrv10i2p2
