Evaluation of County Economic Comprehensive Carrying Capacity in Jiangmen Based on Entropy Weight Method

Abstract

The evaluation of county economic comprehensive carrying capacity (CECCC) provides a critical foundation for optimizing regional spatial layouts under the "Hundred Counties, Thousand Towns, and Ten Thousand Villages High-quality Development Project" in Guangdong Province. This research develops a four-dimensional index system encompassing economic strength, population, infrastructure, and ecological environment to assess seven county-level units in Jiangmen based on 2024 statistical data. The entropy weight method and linear weighted model are applied to quantify the carrying energy levels. Empirical results demonstrate a significant "strong in the east and weak in the west" spatial pattern, where the economic strength dimension, with a weight of 53.09%, acts as the dominant factor driving system evolution. While the eastern echelon—Xinhui, Pengjiang, and Heshan—maintains prominent carrying advantages, western counties exhibit comparative strengths in the ecological dimension, revealing a functional misalignment in spatial distribution. Robustness tests and policy alignment analysis confirm the mathematical stability and policy relevance of the evaluation model. Consequently, differentiated pathways such as energy level leapfrogging, platform quality improvement, and green transformation are proposed for different county echelons to support precise regional coordinated development strategies.