Innovation-Driven Quality and Efficiency Enhancement, Development Momentum Renewed and Upgraded

Innovation-Driven Quality and Efficiency Enhancement, Development Momentum Renewed and Upgraded

—Series Report II on Achievements in Economic and Social Development during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

The National Bureau of Statistics, June 2, 2026

　　The 14th Five-Year Plan period was a crucial five-year period for China to deepen the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and accelerate the achievement of greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology. Facing the tide of the global scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, China has adhered to the core position of innovation in the overall modernization drive, deeply implemented the innovation-driven development strategy, improved national strategic scientific and technological strength, enhanced the overall efficiency of the national innovation system, and propelled scientific and technological strength from point breakthroughs to systematic capability enhancement, and innovation momentum from scale accumulation to qualitative and efficiency leaps. Over the past five years, China’s capacity for scientific and technological innovation has significantly improved, breakthroughs in key core technologies have accelerated, progress has been made in the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and the cultivation and growth of new quality productive forces have injected strong momentum into high-quality development to provide solid support for advancing the Chinese path to modernization. 

　　I. The Accelerated Improvement of the Innovation System and the Comprehensive Consolidation of the Innovation Foundation

　　China has continuously deepened reforms of the science and technology system, accelerated the improvement of the new national system, consistently increased R&D investment, advanced the construction of innovation platforms, fostered mutual promotion between innovation ecosystem optimization and innovation factor guarantees, and effectively consolidated the national innovation foundation.

　　(I) The Improvement of Both Scale and Intensity of R&D Investment

　　R&D investment is the prerequisite and material guarantee for scientific and technological innovation. China has continuously strengthened policy guidance and incentives, promoting steady growth and structural optimization of R&D investment across society. R&D expenditures increased from RMB 2.4393 trillion in 2020 to 3.9262 trillion in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of 10.0%, maintaining the world’s second-highest scale. The intensity of R&D expenditure increased from 2.36% to 2.80%, exceeding the average level of OECD member countries. China has transformed from a technology follower to a significant contributor to global innovation. Investment in basic research grew relatively rapidly. In 2025, expenditure for basic research reached RMB 277.8 billion, an increase of 89.4% compared to 2020. Its share in total R&D expenditure reached 7.08%, an increase of 1.07 percentage points.

　　(II) Development and Expansion of the Innovation Talent Team

　　Adhering to the principle that talent is the primary resource for scientific and technological innovation, efforts have been coordinated to promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, continuously expanding the “reservoir” of human capital. Currently, the total number of skilled workers in China exceeds 220 million, including over 72 million highly skilled talents. The full-time equivalent of R&D personnel increased from 5.24 million person-years in 2020 to 7.95 million person-years in 2025, ranking first in the world for 13 consecutive years. Population quality has steadily improved, with the demographic dividend shifting from quantity-based to quality-based talent dividend. The average years of education for the population aged 16–59 increased from 10.8 years in 2020 to 11.3 years in 2025. The gross enrollment rate in higher education increased from 54.4% in 2020 to 61.3% in 2025.

　　(III) Steady Progress in the Construction of Innovation Foundation Platforms

Efforts have been strengthened to build the science and technology resource guarantee system, achieving a full-chain layout of innovation platforms from basic research to industrial application. Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China has systematically deployed the construction of facility platforms such as the National Science Data Center, the National Biological Germplasm and Experimental Material Resource Bank, and National Field Scientific Observation and Research Stations. Over 19,000 joint R&D and transformation platforms have been established by universities and enterprises, effectively building bridges for innovation achievements to move from the “laboratory” to the “production line.” By the end of 2025, there were 207 National Engineering Research Centers and 1,921 Enterprise Technology Centers under the new sequence management, with steadily improving efficiency in the open sharing of scientific research resources.

　　(IV) Continuous Optimization of the Innovation Ecosystem and Institutional Environment

　　The comprehensive promotion of new research organization models such as the “opening competition mechanism to select the best candidates,” the “horse-racing” system, and the “chain leader” system, along with the continuous optimization of science and technology talent evaluation and incentive policies, and the active leveraging of fiscal and financial tools to stimulate scientific and technological innovation, have effectively invigorated innovation and creativity. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the pre-tax super-deduction ratio for R&D expenses of manufacturing enterprises was increased to 100% and implemented as a long-term institutional arrangement; cumulative national fiscal expenditures on science and technology amounted to approximately RMB 5.4 trillion, an increase of over 30% from the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Intellectual property protection was strengthened. By the end of 2025, the number of valid domestic invention patents reached 5.32 million, an increase of about 1.4 times compared to the end of 2020; the number of high-value invention patents owned per 10,000 R&D personnel reached 16, an increase of 9.7 patents. The efficiency of transformation of scientific and technological (S&T) achievements improved. The national technology contract transaction value increased from RMB 2.8 trillion in 2020 to RMB 7.6 trillion in 2025; the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents rose from 44.9% to 54.0%; the National S&T Achievements Transformation Guiding Fund invested in over 700 S&T enterprises, catalyzing local governments to establish transformation funds with a total scale exceeding RMB 140 billion.

　　II. The Accelerated Improvement of National Strategic Scientific and Technological Strength with Shining Innovative Achievements

　　Guided by the strategic support policy for national development of “self-reliance and strength in science and technology,” China has accelerated the optimization of the national strategic scientific and technological strength layout, advanced the tackling of key core technologies across the entire chain, witnessed a surge of major landmark scientific and technological innovation achievements, significantly enhanced independent innovation capabilities, and provided solid support for shaping new drivers and advantages for development.

　　(I) National Scientific and Technological Innovation Platforms Gather Momentum and Empower Development

　　Coordinated efforts were made to advance the construction of scientific and technological innovation platforms and bases. A number of national laboratories and technology innovation centers were established focusing on cutting-edge S&T fields and major national strategic needs, and 77 major national S&T infrastructure projects were planned and constructed, with some facilities entering the global top tier in terms of comprehensive capabilities. The successful completion of the world’s first operational large-scale, ultra-high-precision dedicated neutrino science facility, the “Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory”; the world’s first fully superconducting tokamak device, the “Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST),” set new records for steady-state high-confinement mode plasma operation; the “Five-Hundred-Meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST)” discovered over a thousand pulsars, far exceeding the total number discovered by all other countries combined. The leading and radiating role of regional innovation clusters was strengthened. The construction of the three international scientific and technological innovation centers in Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region), Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area expanded in scope and improved in quality. Regional S&T innovation centers in Chengdu-Chongqing, Wuhan, Xi’an, and others accelerated their development. Reports from the World Intellectual Property Organization show that China’s global innovation index ranking improved from 14th in 2020 to 10th in 2025, with 24 clusters among the global top 100 innovation clusters, maintaining the world’s top position for three consecutive years.

　　(II) Abundant Achievements in Original Innovation in Frontier Fields

　　Focusing on the world’s S&T frontiers, efforts were intensified to seize the commanding heights of future development. A series of world-renowned and significant innovative achievements were made in frontier fields such as quantum information, artificial intelligence, life sciences, and deep space, deep sea, and deep earth exploration. The superconducting quantum computing prototype “Zuchongzhi-3” once again broke the world record for quantum computational advantage in superconducting systems; the world’s first low-orbit quantum key distribution micro-nano satellite “Jinan-1” was successfully launched. China’s share of global artificial intelligence patent holdings reached as high as 60%, with several general large models reaching internationally advanced levels. Life science and technology accelerated breakthroughs, effectively solving the century-old problem of “plant cell totipotency”; significant progress has been made in brain-computer interface technology in clinical research on limb function reconstruction, visual restoration, etc. From the vastness of space to the ten-thousand-meter deep blue sea, exploration boundaries continued to expand: “Chang’e-6” achieved humanity’s first sample return from the far side of the moon; the “Striver” achieved routine manned dives to 10,000 meters; the “Deep Earth Tako-1 Well” set a new Asian record for the deepest vertical scientific drilling borehole.

　　(III) Important Progress in Tackling Key Core Technologies

　　Continuous organization and implementation of key core technology breakthrough projects accelerated the emergence of major achievements in independent controllability, constantly enhancing the resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains. The R&D and application of the “China Chip” progressed steadily, with domestically produced 300mm silicon wafers achieving large-scale application and entering the supply chain for advanced process nodes; domestic operating systems made significant breakthroughs, with the first personal computer equipped with the HarmonyOS officially released; lidar technology achieved a leap from “catching up” to “leading,” propelling intelligent driving technology to new heights; the precision of domestically produced five-axis linkage machine tools broke through the micron-level barrier; high-horsepower power-shift tractors were successfully developed, addressing the domestic shortfall in large, high-end agricultural equipment; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices were localized and put into clinical application.

　　(IV) Frequent Good News from Major Equipment and Engineering Technology

　　Continuous enhancement of the independent capability in high-end manufacturing turned a number of landmark national industrial pillars from blueprints into reality. The “Tiangong” space station was fully completed and entered the application and development stage; the C919 large passenger aircraft achieved breakthroughs throughout the entire process from maiden flight to inaugural commercial flight and then to regular commercial operations; the CR450 EMU reached a speed of 453 km/h, refreshing the golden brand of “China Speed”; the first electromagnetic catapult-type aircraft carrier, the “Fujian,” was officially commissioned; fifth-generation large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers were delivered in batches; the domestically built large cruise ship “Adora Magic City” was completed and put into operation, successfully assembling the “three pearls” of the modern shipbuilding industry; the world’s first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, the Huaneng Shidaowan High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Nuclear Power Station, commenced commercial operation; China’s first ultra-large diameter shield tunneling machine, “Jinghua,” set a world record for monthly tunneling advance for 16-meter-class shield machines; the deep-sea drilling vessel “Dream” was officially commissioned, marking a comprehensive leap in the independent supply capability of high-level engineering equipment.

　　III. The Accelerated Cultivation of New Quality Productive Forces with Accumulated and Growing Innovation Momentum

　　China has adhered to using scientific and technological innovation to lead industrial innovation, developed new quality productive forces according to local conditions, coordinated the upgrading of traditional industries, strengthened emerging industries, and cultivated future industries. New industries, new business forms, and new models continuously emerge, and innovation momentum is built up and unleashed, consolidating and enhancing new advantages for high-quality development.

　　(I) Remarkable Achievements in Cultivating Innovative Enterprises

　　China is strengthening the principal role of enterprises in innovation, promoting the concentration of innovation resources towards enterprises, and encouraging business entities to pursue innovation and excellence and make their mark in more new tracks. In 2025, 1.134 million new enterprises related to the “8 major emerging industries + 9 major future industries” were established nationwide, accounting for 11.9% of the total number of newly established enterprises. The gradient cultivation of innovative enterprises yielded notable results. By the end of 2025, China had cumulatively cultivated over 600,000 S&T and innovative SMEs, 504,000 high-tech enterprises, over 140,000 SRDI SMEs, 17,600 “little giant” enterprises among them, and over 1,800 manufacturing single-champion enterprises. A number of unicorn enterprises and gazelle enterprises achieved “high jumps and fast runs.”

　　(II) Continuous Deepening of Traditional Industry Transformation

　　Guided by the direction of high-end, intelligent, and green development, in-depth implementation of the manufacturing digital transformation action and the technological transformation and upgrading project promoted the deep integration of the internet, big data, and artificial intelligence with traditional industries, accelerating process innovation, equipment renewal, and model innovation, revitalizing a number of traditional industries. In 2025, investment in equipment, tools, and instrument purchase grew by 11.8% compared to the previous year; by year-end, the proportion of industrial enterprises above designated size carrying out digital transformation reached 89.6%, and the penetration rate of digital equipment reached 57.7%. Product quality and brand influence continued to improve. In 2025, the qualified rate of manufacturing product quality reached 94.36%, an increase of 0.97 percentage points from 2020. The international influence of a number of enterprise brands deeply rooted in traditional manufacturing fields such as steel, textiles, home appliances, and food continued to rise. Green transformation efforts intensified in key areas such as industry, construction, and transportation. The comprehensive energy consumption per unit product for steel, cement clinker, etc., generally reached world advanced levels.

　　(III) Emerging Industries Cultivated and Strengthened

　　High-tech manufacturing continued to “lead the way,” and equipment manufacturing effectively played its role as a “ballast stone.” From 2021 to 2025, the value added of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size grew at an average annual rate of 8.4% and 9.2%, respectively. Their share in the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased to 36.8% and 17.1%, up by 3.1 and 2.0 percentage points respectively from 2020. The output of new products such as 3D printing equipment, industrial robots, and service robots grew at an average annual rate of 30.9%, 28.8%, and 26.6%, respectively. Modern service industries have developed positively, with their share increasing. In 2025, the value added of information transmission, software and information technology services, and of leasing and business services accounted for 5.0% and 4.5% of GDP, respectively, up by 1.3 and 1.2 percentage points from 2020. The “Three New” economy, represented by new industries, new business forms, and new business models, became a new engine for economic vitality. In 2024, the value added of the “Three New” economy^[1] accounted for 18.01% of GDP, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from 2020. 

　　(IV) Continuous Deepening of Digital-Real Integration

　　Digital industries, digital consumption, and digital infrastructure expanded comprehensively. New scenarios such as “5G Plus,” “Industrial Internet Plus,” and “AI Plus” accelerated their cultivation. Digital penetration has significantly increased, continuously empowering thousands of industries. In 2024, the value added of the digital economy rose to 33.1% of GDP, of which the core digital economy industries’ value added rose to 10.5%, an increase of nearly 3 percentage points from 2020. New information infrastructure construction achieved remarkable results. By the end of 2025, China’s total computing power ranked second globally. 4.84 million 5G base stations had been built, with 240 million fixed broadband access users at speeds of 1,000 Mbps and above, and 2.888 billion mobile IoT terminal connections. New consumption models and scenarios accelerated their expansion. From 2021 to 2025, online retail sales grew at an average annual rate of 8.9%, with e-commerce, live-streaming e-commerce, and instant retail growing rapidly. The application scale and development level of intelligent manufacturing have continuously improved. China has cumulatively built over 35,000 foundational-level, over 8,200 advanced-level, over 500 excellence-level, and 15 lighthouse-level smart factories. The total number of “Lighthouse Factories” reached 101, ranking first globally.

　　IV. The Expansion of S&T Empowerment Across All Domains, Strongly Supporting High-Quality Development

　　Scientific and technological innovation has been comprehensively integrated into all fields and aspects of economic and social development. From industrial upgrading and green transformation to rural revitalization and public services, the fruits of innovation have benefited millions of households, gradually unfolding an era where science and technology invigorate industries and benefit the whole society.

　　(I) Technology Empowers Industrial Upgrading and Efficiency Gains

　　Scientific and technological innovation is deeply embedded in every link of the industrial chain. Intelligent production lines are moving towards large-scale application, promoting a relatively rapid increase in industrial efficiency. Currently, the application of industrial robots in China covers 71 major industries in the national economy, and the robot density in the manufacturing sector far exceeds the global average. The overall labor productivity increased from RMB 138,000 per person in 2020 to RMB 184,000 per person in 2025 (calculated at 2020 prices), with an average annual growth of 6.0%, which is 0.6 percentage points faster than the average annual GDP growth rate during the same period. The synergistic and amplifying effects of efficiency advantages, integration advantages, and scale advantages have kept China’s manufacturing value added the largest in the world for 16 consecutive years. The supply capacity of mid-to-high-end products such as industrial machine tools, intelligent chips, and ship and marine engineering equipment has significantly increased.

　　(II) Green and Low-Carbon Transformation Empowered by Technology

　　The pace of green technological innovation and the promotion and application of advanced green technologies has accelerated, speeding up the transformation of production methods towards greening and decarbonization. In 2024, the number of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international patent applications published in China for green and low-carbon technologies grew 1.3 times compared to 2020, ranking first in the world for four consecutive years. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system. The proportion of total installed capacity of new energy storage in the global new energy storage market increased to over 50%. Resource utilization efficiency continued to improve. After deducting energy used as raw materials and non-fossil energy consumption, the national energy consumption per RMB 10,000 of GDP cumulatively decreased by 16.1%, making China one of the countries with the fastest decline in energy intensity globally. The new energy vehicle industry accelerated its upgrading and innovation. In 2025, both the production and sales of new energy vehicles exceeded the 16 million mark, ranking first in the world for 11 consecutive years. By the end of the year, the number of electric vehicle charging facilities reached 20.092 million, approximately 12 times that at the end of 2020.

　　(III) Comprehensive Rural Revitalization Empowered by Technology

　　Technological progress has provided wings for the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. In 2025, China’s contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress exceeded 64%, and agricultural scientific and technological innovation as a whole entered the world’s top tier. Transitioning from “knowing how to farm” to “farming smartly,” agricultural machinery and equipment accelerated in popularization and application. In 2025, the comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation, planting, and harvesting increased to 76.7%, and the number of agricultural drones in operation ranked first in the world. The world’s first intelligent breeding robot was successfully developed, and the coverage rate of improved crop varieties exceeded 96%. Technology continued to aid in the improvement of the rural living environment. The penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural China increased to around 77%, the treatment rate of rural domestic sewage reached 55%, and the 5G coverage rate in administrative villages exceeded 95%. Currently, the total length of rural roads exceeds 4.64 million kilometers, significantly improving the convenience of rural life.

　　(IV) Technology Empowers the Improvement of People’s Well-Being

　　Scientific and technological innovation is accelerating its application in fields such as healthcare, elderly care, and education, comprehensively reshaping public service scenarios and making quality resources more inclusive and accessible. Smart healthcare has been expanded and accelerated. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the remote medical service network covered all cities and counties. Over 1.2 billion people activated their medical insurance codes and realized code-swipe medical consultations and drug purchases. In 2024, the online availability rate of government services for medical insurance increased to 92%. Direct cross-provincial settlement for medical expenses grew from scratch, benefiting over 560 million person-times. Smart elderly care flourished, and digital age-appropriate services were comprehensively promoted. In 2024, the national elderly care service information platform commenced operation. In 2025, the “one-click access to human customer service” elderly care hotline cumulatively served over 650 million person-times. E-government achieved leapfrog development. A nationwide “single network” for government services was successfully established. Convenience measures such as “cross-province online services” and “immediate response to complaints” became the norm. New models such as online education, digital social security, and immersive cultural tourism continuously emerged, making public services more diverse and accessible.

　　With comprehensive progress in all aspects, innovation achievements emerge one after another. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has seen a leapfrog improvement in its strength in scientific and technological innovation, with new breakthroughs achieved in the promotion of greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology. Scientific and technological innovation was comprehensively integrated into all fields of the economy and society, becoming the primary driving force leading high-quality development. At the same time, it must be noted that global technological competition is intensifying. China still faces bottlenecks and challenges in areas such as cultivating original innovation capability, tackling core technologies, and transforming scientific and technological achievements. The efficiency of the innovation system needs further enhancement. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is essential to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, deeply implement the innovation-driven development strategy, advance the reform of the science and technology systems and mechanisms in depth, continuously improve the overall efficiency of the national innovation system, lead the development of new quality productive forces with scientific and technological innovation, promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and inject a continuous stream of new momentum for high-quality development.

　　Note:

　　[1] The value added of the “Three New” economy for 2020–2023 has been revised based on data from the Fifth National Economic Census.

Transtlate from: Website of the National Bureau of Statistics, June 2, 2026