Abstract
This study aims to explore the modernization level, dynamic distribution, and regional disparities of China from 2006 to 2020. Based on the concept of sustainable development and the concept of modernization in China, an evaluation index system for modernization is constructed. The improved CRITIC method is employed to calculate the weights of each index, and a modernization index model is used to characterize the level of modernization. The kernel density estimation method and the Dagum Gini coefficient are then applied to analyse the dynamic distribution and regional disparities of modernization across provinces in China. The research findings indicate that the modernization level has significantly improved at the national and regional levels during the observed period. However, different regions and provinces have experienced varying growth rates in modernization, highlighting significant spatial disparities. China's modernization level exhibits a pattern where provinces along the southeastern coastal line serve as the starting point and extend towards the inland regions, with the level of modernization decreasing as the distance from the coastline increases. Moreover, polarization phenomena are observed in the central and eastern regions.
