Acta Geographica Sinica ›› 2009, Vol. 64 ›› Issue (4): 408-416.doi: 10.11821/xb200904003

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The Analyses of Metropolitan Efficiencies and Their Changes in China Based on DEA and Malmquist Index Models

GUO Tengyun, XU Yong, WANG Zhiqiang   

  1. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
  • Received:2008-10-22 Revised:2009-02-20 Online:2009-04-25 Published:2009-04-25
  • Supported by:

    Key Project of National Natural Sciences of China, No.40635026, National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40671054

Abstract:

The factors resources efficiencies (including Technological Efficiency, TE; Pure Technological Efficiency, PTE; and Scale Efficiency, SE) of metropolises in China in 1990, 2000 and 2006, and their changing trends in China during the period 1990-2006 are investigated using DEA model and Malmquist index model, respectively. Firstly, the DEA model results show the efficiencies were not too high, with the characteristics of almost decreasing from Eastern Coastal China to Western China, and only few metropolises were in DEA efficiencies. Secondly, the results also show the PTEs were correlated with the urban population sizes of metropolises negatively, and the SEs correlated with the urban population sizes of metropolises positively in 1990, 2000, 2006, that is, with urban population sizes getting larger the corresponding PTEs were decreasing accordingly, and the SEs were increasing consequently. Thirdly, the Malmquist index results display the TE changing trends were increasing weakly, the technological changing trends were decreasing, and the total factor productivity changing trends are decreasing more apparently during 1990-2006, in which they were all increasing during the sub-period 1990-2000, and all decreasing during the sub-period 2000-2006. Fourthly, the Malmquist index results also demonstrate the TE changing trend was slightly increasing in Eastern Coastal China, while it was decreasing in Central China, and decreasing evidently in Western China. And with the increase of urban population size, the increasing trends of SEs became weaker and weaker. And the main reasons for the relatively low urban efficiencies and their changing trends, as well as a slight increase of total factor productivity changing trends mainly lie in the technological degeneracy and a significant decreasing trend in PTE during 2000-2006. Finally, the analyses also shed some highlights on the importance and significances to develop some metropolises with a proper size of population in China through implementing intensive factor resources utilization mode based on sustainable development concept.

Key words: DEA and Malmquist index methods, metropolis, factor resources efficiency, changing trend, Chin