Spatio-Temporal Variation and Decomposition Analysis of Livelihood Resilience of Rural Residents in China

HIGHLIGHTS: What are the main findings? Livelihood resilience of rural residents (LRRR) in China was high in the east and low in the center and west. Inter-regional differences in LRRR were the main source of overall differences. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] convergence in LRRR were observed in most provinces. What is the implication of the main finding? A factual reference for policies related to reducing inter-provincial differences in the LRRR was provided. ABSTRACT: The key to sustainable rural development and coordinated regional development is to properly measure the livelihood resilience of rural residents (LRRR), and investigate its regional differences, distribution characteristics, and evolutionary patterns. This study combined the entropy method, the Dagum Gini coefficient and decomposition, kernel density estimation, and convergence analysis to measure the LRRR in 30 provinces of China from 2006 to 2020, and to analyze its regional differences and sources, dynamic distribution, and characteristics of convergence. The LRRR in China overall declined 2006–2020, with an east-to-west spatial gradient toward lower livelihood resilience. Intra-regional differences in LRRR narrowed in the Eastern and Central Regions, while those in the Western Region widened. Inter-regional differences were the main source of differences in LRRR. The LRRRs in most provinces in China were gradually reaching the same level over time (i.e., [Formula: see text] convergence and [Formula: see text] convergence). This research provides a factual reference for policies related to reducing inter-provincial differences in the LRRR in China.