Abstract: The 20 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province (excluding Shenzhen City) from 2013 to 2022 were taken as the research objects. An evaluation index system for digital village development covering five key dimensions was constructed. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method was adopted to measure the development levels. The Kernel density estimation method, Moran’s I index, and the GeoDetector model were utilized to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and driving factors. It was shown that the overall development level of digital villages in Guangdong Province had been continuously rising. However, significant regional disparities existed, with the Pearl River Delta region taking the lead and the eastern, western, and northern regions of Guangdong facing a “digital divide”. The development level of digital villages demonstrated stable spatial agglomeration characteristics. “High - high” clusters were mainly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region, and there were cities with structural “leapfrogging”. The driving mechanism of digital village development showed a trend of transformation from exogenous drivers such as government support to endogenous drivers such as innovation input and agricultural level. Finally, targeted countermeasures and suggestions were put forward regarding regional differences, policy linkage, and innovation-driven development in Guangdong Province.

Key words: digital village, development level, spatiotemporal evolution, driving factors, Guangdong Province