Regional inequality has attracted considerable interest
among academics and policy makers. However, few studies have focused on regional inequality in comprehensive
development. This study quantitatively estimated the regional inequalities and imbalances in China at multiple
scales using gross domestic product (GDP), population,
and the inter‐calibrated Defense Meteorological Satellite
Program’s Operational Line‐Scan System (DMSP/OLS)
nighttime stable light (NSL) data for 1992–2013. The results are as follows. First, the GDP‐derived inequalities
exhibited an inverted U‐shaped pattern, while the NSL‐derived continued to decline. Second, for both GDP and
NSL data, the inequality within the western region contributed most to the within‐region inequalities, while the
eastern region contributed least. Third, the highest inter‐
provincial inequality was observed in the developed area,
while disparity within the underdeveloped area was the
lowest. Finally, at the provincial level, the imbalances in
comprehensive development generally decreased from
1992 to 2013. Moreover, a correlation analysis between
the GDP‐ and NSL‐derived inequalities showed that there
were some similarities in inequalities during 1992–2013,
especially in the eastern region. These findings highlight
that the regional inequalities in economic development
and comprehensive development exhibit different tendencies, and hence it is crucial for both scholars and government to focus on this issue.