Abstract: By making use of the three-stage DEA model, this paper conducts an efficiency evaluation analysis of the rural culture industry in China’s 31 provinces from 2004 to 2009. The results show that such factors as the number of market institutions, entertainment consumer spending per capita, per capita income and geography have significant influence on the development of rural culture industry at different regions. After eliminating the influences of the environmental factors and the random disturbance, it is found that the efficiency of the rural culture industry at different regions is generally on the low side, the scale efficiency is lower; the central region has a relatively higher efficiency, the eastern is lower, and the western is the lowest.

Key words: three-stage DEA model; rural culture industry; technical efficiency