Unlocking Pathways for Urban Inclusive Green Growth: Talent Agglomeration —A New Perspective on High-End Human Capital Agglomeration

Amid slowing global economic growth, the “demographic dividend” has diminishing returns, making it essential to leverage the “talent dividend” to achieve urban inclusive green growth ( UIGG ). Using panel data from 270 prefecture-level cities in China (2003–2019), this study examines the impact and mechanisms of talent agglomeration ( Talagg ) on UIGG . The findings show that: (1) Talagg significantly and directly promotes UIGG . This finding still holds after a number of robustness tests. (2) Heterogeneity studies show that the effect varies obviously by geographic location, city type, and development level. (3) Mechanism analyses identify two key pathways through which Talagg improves UIGG : green technology innovation and entrepreneurial activity. (4) Further analysis highlights synergistic effects between Talagg and industrial agglomeration, as well as labor marketization, which plays a crucial moderating role in enhancing UIGG . This study provides a new insight for tackling environmental challenges and social inequality in cities, offering policy implications for China and other emerging economies seeking to transition from traditional development models.