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Human capital is a key factor in the economic growth and sustainable development of a country. However, the impact of digitalization on human capital accumulation and the urban-rural human capital gap in China is seldom a focus in the literature. This paper establishes a three-sector economic growth model surrounding knowledge accumulation, endogenous technology, and labor mobility. It is designed to theoretically explain the influence of digital empowerment on human capital accumulation and its urban-rural gap in an economy. An empirical test is also conducted using CFPS panel data for 25 Chinese provinces from 2016 to 2018. The results show that: Firstly, digital empowerment significantly promotes the accumulation of human capital in rural and urban areas. The number of years of education increases by 1.37% in rural areas and 3.07% in urban areas for each index point of digitalization increase. Secondly, the impact of digitalization on the human capital gap between urban and rural areas demonstrates an inverted U-shaped curve. However, it is still within the Matthew Effect that the human capital gap between urban and rural areas is widening in tandem with digital development. Finally, the Matthew Effect in digitalization on the urban-rural human capital gap is relatively larger in the female group, higher education population, and larger family size.

This study provides theoretical and empirical evidence for the agricultural–ecological benefits of digital inclusive finance development. We analyzed the satellite resolution data of agricultural fires and an aggregate development index of digital inclusive finance at the county level in China from 2014 to 2016. The regression analysis demonstrated that digital inclusive finance development can inhibit straw burning, and that the inhibiting effect is more effective in agriculture-oriented counties located in the plain area of the eastern-central developed regions. Additionally, the influence mechanism, whereby digital inclusive finance development may reduce straw burning by improving agricultural mechanization, was also examined. The impact of digital inclusive finance on green agriculture production needs to be explored further since it is a revolutionary mode of financial development.