Digitalization serves as the core driving force for advancing high-quality development of rural economy. From four dimensions including industry, production factors, market and governance, this paper analyzes the internal mechanism of digitalization empowering rural economic development, and sorts out practical achievements such as improved rural digital infrastructure, booming new business forms, increased farmers’ income and upgraded rural governance. Meanwhile, it summarizes restrictive problems existing in the development process, including inadequate infrastructure, shortage of digital talents, immature industrial formats and imperfect governance systems. Furthermore, it prospects development trends covering expansion of rural digital industries, urban-rural digital integration, formation of green digital development and modernization of digital governance, so as to provide references for rural construction and the improvement of quality and efficiency of rural economy.