Economic Structure Has Been Continuously Optimized, with Development Coordination Being Steadily Strengthened

Economic Structure Has Been Continuously Optimized, with Development Coordination Being Steadily Strengthened

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

Source: Website of the National Bureau of Statistics, June 3, 2026

    During the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all localities and government departments have thoroughly implemented the new development philosophy, accelerated the establishment of a new development pattern, and promoted economic structural adjustment and transformation and upgrading. China has made new progress in economic structural adjustment, with continuous optimization of the industrial structure, constant upgrading of the demand structure, steady advancement of coordinated regional development, continuous improvement in the macro income distribution structure, and a significant enhancement in the coordination of economic development. 

　　I. Industrial Structure Continuously Optimized with the Formulation of New Growth Drivers 

　　During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with the continuous development of China’s economy and society, the industrial structure has been continuously optimized. The foundational position of the primary industry has been continuously consolidated, the secondary industry has accelerated its transformation and upgrading, and the tertiary industry has sustained rapid development. The structure of the three industries has adjusted from 7.5:36.9:55.5 in 2020 to 6.7:35.6:57.7 in 2025. The coordinated development of the three industries has effectively supported the stable and healthy development of the national economy.

　　(I) A Stable Growth in the Primary Industry, with Comprehensive Agricultural Production Capacity Further Enhanced

　　Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery have maintained stable growth. The value added of the primary industry increased from RMB 7.8031 trillion in 2020 to RMB 9.3347 trillion in 2025, with an average annual growth of 4.6% calculated at constant prices. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has deeply implemented the national food security strategy, focused on enhancing the supply of various important agricultural products, and continuously strengthened the comprehensive agricultural production capacity. In 2025, the national grain output reached 1.4298 trillion jin, remaining above 1.4 trillion jin for two consecutive years, with continuously improving security levels; the output of pork, beef, mutton, and poultry reached 100.72 million tons, exceeding 100 million tons for the first time; vegetables, melons and fruits, meat, eggs, milk, and fishery products were abundant in variety and sufficient in supply. The level of agricultural modernization has continuously improved. According to statistics, in 2025, the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress in China exceeded 64%[1], the coverage rate of improved crop varieties exceeded 96%, and the comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation, planting, and harvesting reached 76.7%. Positive results have been achieved in the comprehensive green transformation of agricultural development, the supply capacity of high-quality agricultural products has steadily improved, and the proportion of green agricultural products has continued to increase. 

　　(II) The Accelerated Transformation and Upgrading of the Secondary Industry, with the Gradual High-End, Intelligent and Green Development of Manufacturing 

　　The secondary industry has maintained relatively rapid growth. Its value added increased from RMB 38.1986 trillion in 2020 to RMB 49.9653 trillion in 2025, registering an average annual growth rate of 4.9% at constant prices. Among this, the value added of the manufacturing industry increased from RMB 26.4729 trillion in 2020 to RMB 34.6747 trillion in 2025, with an average annual growth of 5.5% calculated at constant prices, 0.1 percentage points higher than the average annual GDP growth rate, effectively supporting the stable and healthy development of the economy. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, driven by major national strategic measures such as innovation-driven development, China’s manufacturing industry has accelerated its transformation and upgrading, gradually advancing towards high-end, intelligent and green development. Equipment manufacturing, high-tech manufacturing, and digital product manufacturing have developed rapidly. In 2025, the value added of equipment manufacturing enterprises above designated size accounted for 36.8% of that of industrial enterprises above designated size, an increase of 3.1 percentage points from 2020; the value added of high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size accounted for 17.1% of that of industrial enterprises above designated size, an increase of 2.0 percentage points from 2020; the value added of digital product manufacturing enterprises above designated size grew by 9.3%, 3.4 percentage points higher than the growth rate of that of industrial enterprises above designated size. Green and low-carbon industries have developed rapidly, with industries such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics maintaining a globally leading market scale. The innovation ability of enterprises has been continuously enhanced. In 2024, the R&D expenditure of industrial enterprises above designated size reached RMB 2254.8 billion, a 47.6% increase compared with 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 10.2%. 

　　(III) Continuous Increase of the Share of the Tertiary Industry, with Modern Services Flourishing 

　　The scale of the tertiary industry has continuously expanded and its strength has continuously enhanced. The value added of the tertiary industry increased from RMB 57.4851 trillion in 2020 to RMB 80.8879 trillion in 2025, with an average annual growth of 5.8% calculated at constant prices, 0.4 percentage points higher than the average annual GDP growth rate. The proportion of the tertiary industry’s value added in GDP increased from 55.5% in 2020 to 57.7% in 2025, a rise of 2.2 percentage points. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data have accelerated their integration with the service industry. Modern services and emerging services have developed rapidly, and their share of GDP has increased significantly. 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, an increase of 1.3 and 1.2 percentage points from 2020 respectively. National online retail sales of goods (physical goods online retail sales) reached RMB 13.0923 trillion, accounting for 26.1% of total retail sales of consumer goods, an increase of 3.3 percentage points from 2020. In recent years, the growth rates of operating income in strategic emerging services and high-tech services, as well as the growth rate of investment in high-tech services, have been significantly higher than the overall level of the service industry. 

　　II. Continuous Upgrading of the Demand Structure by Coordinating Domestic and External Demand for Greater Synergy 

　　During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has firmly acted on the strategic priority of expanding domestic demand. The country has promoted the expansion and upgrading of consumption, the targeted adjustment and optimization of investment, and the steady growth and quality improvement of foreign trade. By doing so, it has established a demand pattern featuring positive interplay between domestic and external demand and mutual reinforcement between supply and demand, thereby providing solid support for the stable growth of the national economy. The structure of the three major demands has continued to optimize amidst scale expansion. The shares of final consumption expenditure, gross capital formation, and net exports of goods and services in GDP adjusted from 55.4:42.3:2.4 in 2020 to 56.9:38.9:4.2 in 2025, injecting strong momentum into high-quality economic development. 

　　(I) Expansion and Upgrading of the Consumer Market, with Its Fundamental Driving Role Becoming Increasingly Prominent 

　　China has placed restoring and expanding consumption high on its agenda. The size of the consumer market has expanded steadily, and the fundamental role of consumption in driving economic growth has been further brought into play. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s average consumption rate was 55.9%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the 13th Five-Year Plan period, of which the average household consumption rate was 39.2%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The average contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth was 58.8%, an increase of 10.0 percentage points from the 13th Five-Year Plan period. At the same time, the consumption structure has been continuously optimized. In terms of commodity consumption, intelligence and green features have become mainstream. By the end of 2025, the number of new energy vehicles in use in China had reached 43.97 million, an increase of 7.9 times from the end of 2020 [2]. The growth rate of service consumption has exceeded that of goods consumption. In 2025, the share of per capita service consumption expenditure for residents was 46.1%, an increase of 3.5 percentage points from 2020. New forms of consumption have flourished in diverse ways, with scenarios such as livestreaming e-commerce and instant retail being continuously enriched, and the consumer market bursting with sustained vitality. In 2025, China’s online retail sales reached RMB 15.97 trillion, an increase of 8.6% over the previous year. 

　　(II) Targeted Adjustment and Optimization of Investment Layout, with Its Critical Supporting Role Being Continuously Unleashed 

　　China adheres to the orientation of targeted and effective investment. Investment across all localities and government departments has shifted from scale expansion to the pursuit of quality and efficiency, and the investment rate has remained generally stable. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s average investment rate was 41.1%, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points from the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Meanwhile, the investment structure has been further optimized. Driven by the innovation-driven development strategy, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s gross fixed capital formation in intellectual property products grew at an average annual rate of 9.6% at current prices, 3.3 percentage points higher than the average annual GDP growth rate at current prices, accounting for an average of 15.5% of the total gross fixed capital formation. Furthermore, investment has been increasingly tilted toward high-tech sectors, new infrastructure and people’s livelihood areas, effectively driving industrial transformation and upgrading, and delivering strong, critical support for economic growth. Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan, central state-owned enterprises have cumulatively invested over RMB 10 trillion in strategic emerging industries, with the proportion of such investment in total investment increasing from 22% at the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan to over 40% [3]. In China’s national general public budget expenditure, the share of spending on people’s livelihoods has consistently exceeded 70%, with total livelihood-related investment reaching nearly RMB 100 trillion over the past five years [4]. 

　　(III) Stable Growth and Quality Improvement of Foreign Trade, with the Formation of a High-Standard Opening-Up Pattern Accelerating 

　　China has withstood the pressure of a complex international environment and pushed for leapfrog development in foreign trade. The new system for an open economy has been established at an accelerated pace, and the synergy between domestic and international economic circulation has been continuously enhanced. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the average contribution rate of net exports of goods and services to economic growth was 17.1%, an increase of 11.8 percentage points from the 13th Five-Year Plan period. In 2025, the total value of imports and exports exceeded RMB 45 trillion, hitting a record high, maintaining China’s position as the world’s largest trader in goods. Trade in services has developed rapidly. In 2024, the total import and export volume of services exceeded USD 1 trillion for the first time, with its scale steadily ranking second globally [5], and the trade structure has become more balanced. Foreign trade has moved towards new and superior areas. In 2025, China’s exports of high-tech products reached RMB 5.25 trillion, an increase of 13.2% over the previous year [6]. The surplus in knowledge-intensive services was RMB 576.3 billion, an expansion of RMB 158.2 billion over the previous year [7]. The level of openness has been steadily raised. The negative list for foreign investment access has been continuously shortened, opening-up platforms including pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port have delivered innovation-driven impetus, and China has remained one of the world’s most attractive destinations for foreign investment inflows, providing broad external space for optimizing the demand structure. Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China has cumulatively absorbed over USD 700 billion in foreign investment. In 2025, the proportion of foreign investment in high-tech industries reached 32.3%, an increase of 3.7 percentage points from 2020 [8]. 

　　III. The Continuous Implementation of Regional Coordinated Development Consistently Driven by Major Strategies 

　　During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, all regions across China have given full play to their comparative advantages. A series of major regional strategies have been implemented at an accelerated pace, the spatial allocation of resources has been optimized and upgraded, and new engines for high-quality development have taken shape rapidly. The potential for economic growth has been further unleashed, and the overall effectiveness of regional coordinated development has been steadily enhanced. 

　　(I) The Continuous Release of Regional Economic Vitality and the Steadily Strengthened Coordination of Regional Development 

　　The economic aggregate of all regions in China has steadily increased. In terms of economic scale, the regional GDP of the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions [9] increased from RMB 54.0 trillion, RMB 22.2 trillion, RMB 21.7 trillion, and RMB 5.2 trillion in 2020 to RMB 73.1 trillion, RMB 29.9 trillion, RMB 29.9 trillion, and RMB 6.5 trillion in 2025, respectively. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the average annual GDP growth rate of the eastern, central, western and northeastern regions reached 5.3%, 5.5%, 5.4% and 4.2% respectively. The central and western regions registered rapid growth, the relative gap between regions gradually narrowed, and inter-regional economic development demonstrated a sound momentum of positive interaction.

　　(II) The Further Defined Orientation of Regional Development and the Continuously Lifted Level of Coordinated Development 

　　The eastern region has continued to play the role of “bearing the major load.” As a crucial engine of China’s economic development, the eastern region’s share of the national gross regional product has remained stable at over 50 percent, reaching 52.4 percent in 2025. Driven by innovation, the eastern region has pursued high-quality development, with its per capita regional GDP rising from RMB 96,000 in 2020 to RMB 129,000 in 2025. 

　　The comprehensive economic strength of the central region has been steadily enhanced. The central region has actively constructed a modern industrial system, fostered and developed emerging industries, and continuously worked to build itself into an inland hub for opening-up. In 2025, the central region’s gross regional product accounted for 21.5% of the national total. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the average annual growth rate of the central region’s gross regional product stood at 5.5%, outpacing the national average by 0.1 percentage points. 

　　The Western Development Strategy has been further advanced. The western region has continued to improve infrastructure conditions, promoted the construction of the New Land-Sea Corridor, fostered and strengthened strategic emerging industries, leading to sustained and rapid economic development. In 2025, the western region’s gross regional product accounted for 21.4% of the national total, an increase of 0.4 percentage points compared to 2020. 

　　New progress has been made in the revitalization of the northeastern region. The northeastern region has made every effort to consolidate the foundation for the country’s “Five Major Securities,” strengthened agricultural science and technology, and optimized its industrial structure. The mix of its three industries was adjusted from 13.9:32.6:53.4 in 2020 to 12.0:30.4:57.7 in 2025, with the tertiary industry becoming a major force driving the region’s economic development. 

　　(III) Deep Advancement of Major Regional Strategies, with Their Leading and Driving Role Becoming Increasingly Prominent 

　　Positive progress has been made in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In terms of economic scale, the gross regional product of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region reached nearly RMB 12.0 trillion in 2025, indicating the continuous enhancement of the region’s overall strength. The relative disparity in the per capita disposable income of all residents among the three areas narrowed from 2.6:1.6:1 in 2020 to 2.4:1.5:1 in 2025, with the people’s sense of gain continuously strengthening. 

　　Significant achievements have been scored in the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In 2025, the regional GDP of the Yangtze River Economic Belt [10] reached RMB 65.8 trillion, accounting for 47.2% of the national economic aggregate. The six provinces and municipalities of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hubei, Shanghai, and Hunan remained firmly among the top ten in the country in terms of regional GDP, providing strong support for the nation’s high-quality economic development. 

　　The pace of integrated development in the Yangtze River Delta region has been accelerated. In 2025, the regional GDP of the Yangtze River Delta [11] was RMB 34.7 trillion, accounting for 24.9% of the national total. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the average annual growth rate of the Yangtze River Delta’s regional GDP was 5.6%, 0.2 percentage points higher than the national average. 

　　Solid progress has been made in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Infrastructure “hard connectivity” among the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has been continuously strengthened, while the “soft connectivity” of policies and rules has been accelerated and implemented. New progress has been made in facilitating the movement of people and goods. In 2025, the economic aggregate of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area [12] exceeded RMB 15 trillion. 

　　New progress has been made in ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Under the guidance of policies for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, the quality of the regional ecological environment has significantly improved, the function of the ecological barrier has been solidly enhanced, and a regional development pattern of “north-south coordination and east-west integration” has gradually taken shape. 

　　IV. The Continuous Optimization of the Macro Income Distribution Structure, with Economic Development Outcomes Empowering Development for People’s Well-being 

　　During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has continued to deepen the reform of the income distribution system. Through systematic, multi-level, and multi-dimensional distribution adjustment measures, a coordinated institutional system for primary distribution and redistribution has been constructed. The macro income distribution structure has continued to optimize, enabling the fruits of economic development to benefit all people more extensively and equitably. 

　　(I) A Steady Growth in Household Sector’s Income Share and Practical Improvement of People’s Livelihoods 

　　China has intensively introduced a series of policy measures, including burden reduction and job stabilization, skills enhancement, entrepreneurship support, and ensuring people’s well-being, effectively stabilizing the fundamental basis for residents’ income growth and promoting steady and relatively rapid growth in residents’ income. In terms of primary distribution, the total primary income of China’s household sector rose from RMB 64.26 trillion in 2020 to RMB 85.03 trillion in 2024, representing an average annual growth rate of 7.3%, which was 0.5 percentage points higher than the average annual growth rate of nominal GDP over the same period. Its share of gross national income increased from 62.6 percent in 2020 to 63.5 percent in 2024. The compensation of employees in the household sector grew from RMB 53.84 trillion in 2020 to RMB 72.88 trillion in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 7.9%, and its share of gross national income rose from 52.4% in 2020 to 54.4% in 2024. In terms of redistribution, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has continued to intensify redistribution adjustments through taxation, social security, transfer payments, etc., and continuously improved the system for ensuring people’s well-being. The share of the household sector’s total disposable income in gross national disposable income has consistently remained above 60%, showing a favorable trend of year-on-year increase, and reached 62.0% in 2024. At the same time, China has continued to expand the supply of education, healthcare, public services, and other provisions, and has steadily increased the volume of social transfers in kind to reduce the cost of living for its citizens. The share of social transfers in kind in gross national disposable income has steadily risen, reaching 7.0% in 2024, and the people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security has been further enhanced as they share in the fruits of development. 

　　(II) Phased Fluctuations in the Share of Corporate Sector Income, with the Enhancement of Development Quality and Efficiency 

　　Supported by robust policies, Chinese enterprises have accelerated their transformation and have proactively shifted their development model toward quality and efficiency improvement and their growth drivers toward technological innovation. The phased “growing pains” during this transition have had a certain impact on short-term business performance, leading to phased fluctuations in the share of the corporate sector in national income distribution. The share of total primary income of China’s corporate sector in gross national income edged down with fluctuations from 26.4% in 2020 to 25.2% in 2024. The share of the sector’s total disposable income in gross national disposable income also declined with fluctuations from 22.5% in 2020 to 21.9% in 2024. However, in terms of development quality and efficiency, China’s enterprises have maintained an overall stable development momentum, and the effects of transformation and upgrading have gradually become evident. In 2024, the total primary income of China’s corporate sector reached RMB 33.74 trillion, up by RMB 6.67 trillion from 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 5.7%. Specifically, the non-financial corporate sector recorded an average annual growth rate of 6.2%, outpacing the overall growth of the entire corporate sector. The strong development vitality of the real economy has provided solid support for raising labor remuneration and increasing national fiscal and tax revenue. 

　　(III) Stable Share of Government Sector Income, with Fiscal Policy Implemented in a Targeted Manner 

　　China has continuously deepened fiscal system reform, optimized the tax system, standardized tax collection and administration, and effectively strengthened budget management and debt risk control. Multiple measures have been taken to stabilize the fiscal revenue base, effectively promoting the rational distribution and virtuous cycle of national income among the three major sectors: households, enterprises, and the government. In 2024, the total primary income of China’s general government sector reached RMB 15.11 trillion, up by RMB 3.76 trillion from 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 7.4%, which was 0.6 percentage points higher than the average annual growth rate of nominal GDP over the same period. The share of total primary income of the general government sector in gross national income remained generally stable, standing at around 11% throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period. In the redistribution stage, the share of total disposable income of the general government sector in gross national disposable income rose moderately in 2021 and 2022. However, with intensified efforts of policies for improving people’s livelihood and supporting enterprises, the share embarked on a downward trajectory starting from 2023, and fell to 16.1% in 2024.

　　Overall, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s industrial structure, demand structure, regional structure, and income distribution structure have been continuously optimized and improved, providing solid support for the sustained and healthy development of the economy and society. However, it is also necessary to recognize that the problems of unbalanced and inadequate development in China remain prominent, and the task of shifting growth drivers remains arduous. It is essential to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the establishment of a new development pattern, and continuously promote the optimization and upgrading of the economic structure to provide strong momentum for high-quality economic and social development.

　　Note:

　　 [1] Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

　　[2] Source: Ministry of Public Security.

　　[3] Source: The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

　　[4] Source: Ministry of Finance.

　　[5] Source: Ministry of Commerce.

　　[6] Source: General Administration of Customs.

　　[7] Source: Ministry of Commerce.

　　[8] Source: National Development and Reform Commission.

　　[9] Eastern region includes Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, and Hainan.

　　　The central region includes Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan.

　　　The western region includes Mongolia, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xizang, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang.

　　　The northeastern region includes Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.

　　[10] The Yangtze River Economic Belt includes Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

　　[11] The Yangtze River Delta region includes Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

　　[12] The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area includes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, and the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province.

    Translate from: Website of the National Bureau of Statistics, June 3, 2026