FinTech, urban entrepreneurial activity, and social security levels: Evidence from China

FinTech is an essential and indispensable player in the progressive development of society. However, the extent to which FinTech's level affects social security remains to be determined. This study examines FinTech's impact on social security and the mediating effect of urban entrepreneurial activity, using data from 2008 to 2021 for prefecture-level cities in China. The findings suggest that FinTech promotes the level of social security, but urban entrepreneurial activity mediates this impact. It's also worth noting that there is regional heterogeneity in this impact, more pronounced in the eastern region than in the central and western regions.