Key facts
- China's R&D spending reached 2.8% of GDP in 2025, surpassing the OECD average for the first time.
- Total R&D investment in China was 3.92 trillion yuan ($584.8 billion) in 2025.
- Basic research funding accounted for 7.08% of total R&D spending in 2025.
- China plans to increase R&D spending by at least 7% annually through 2030.
- China's innovation-index ranking placed it among the global Top Ten for the first time.
- The value added of digital product manufacturing grew by 9.3% in 2025.
China's investment in research and development reached a historic high in 2025, with R&D expenditure accounting for 2.8% of its gross domestic product, surpassing the average for member economies of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the first time. Total R&D investment exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan (approximately $584.8 billion), according to Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun. This marks a significant step in Beijing's strategy to bolster technological self-reliance amid increasing global competition.
Basic research funding also saw a historic increase, reaching nearly 280 billion yuan and constituting 7.08% of total R&D spending, crossing the 7% threshold for the first time. China has reported breakthroughs in various frontier fields, including humanoid robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and the semiconductor sector. The nation's innovation-index ranking also entered the global Top Ten for the first time, according to data from the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Looking ahead, China has unveiled ambitious plans to accelerate its innovation momentum through 2030. The country projects an annual average increase of at least 7% in nationwide R&D spending over the next five years. Key initiatives include establishing three international centers for sci-tech innovation and raising the value added of core digital economy industries to 12.5% of GDP. The value added of digital product manufacturing among industrial enterprises above a designated size grew by 9.3% year-on-year in 2025.