Abstract:
Accurately measuring the level of equalization of basic public services in my country and examining the evolution of its regional distribution is of great significance for improving the public service supply system and narrowing regional development disparities. This paper constructs an evaluation system for the equalization of basic public services comprising four criteria—compulsory education, healthcare, employment, and public facilities—and 19 specific indicators. It employs the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method to measure the equalization levels for the nation as a whole and for 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities)from 2010 to 2023, while analyzing spatiotemporal evolution characteristics using kernel density estimation. The study finds that, during the period under review, the overall level of equalization of basic public services in my country improved, though progress across different service sectors was asynchronous; the process of equalization has begun to shift from expanding the scale of supply to enhancing its quality. While the Eastern, Central, Western, and Northeastern regions all achieved improvements—with relatively similar rates of progress—regional disparities persist due to differences in development foundations and inter-provincial divergence. Consequently, it is essential to refine the fiscal guarantee system for basic public services, address shortcomings in a targeted manner based on regional differences and service types, and improve the efficiency of public resource allocation as well as the alignment between service supply and demand.