National Bureau of Statistics: In 2025, China's total investment in research and experimental development (R&D) was 3,928.82 billion yuan, up 8.2% year on year.

On October 16, the National Bureau of Statistics released the 2025 National Statistical Bulletin on Science and Technology Funding. In 2025, China invested a total of 3,928.82 billion yuan in research and experimental development (R&D), an increase of 296.13 billion yuan, or 8.2%, over the previous year; the R&D funding intensity (ratio to GDP) was 2.80%, up 0.11 percentage points from the previous year. Per capita funding calculated on the basis of full-time equivalent of R&D personnel was 487,000 yuan, an increase of 7,000 yuan over the previous year. The full text is as follows: 2025 National Statistical Bulletin on Science and Technology Funding National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance October 16, 2026 In 2025, China's national research and experimental development (R&D) funding maintained steady growth, funding intensity rose relatively quickly, the share of basic research funding increased steadily, and national fiscal spending on science and technology continued to increase. I. Research and Experimental Development (R&D) Funding In 2025, China invested a total of 3,928.82 billion yuan in research and experimental development (R&D), an increase of 296.13 billion yuan, or 8.2%, over the previous year; the R&D funding intensity (ratio to GDP) was 2.80%, up 0.11 percentage points from the previous year. Per capita funding calculated on the basis of full-time equivalent of R&D personnel was 487,000 yuan, an increase of 7,000 yuan over the previous year. By type of activity, national funding for basic research was 283.46 billion yuan, up 13.3% over the previous year; funding for applied research was 444.16 billion yuan, up 3.2%; funding for experimental development was 3,201.20 billion yuan, up 8.4%. Basic research funding accounted for 7.21%, up 0.33 percentage points from the previous year; applied research and experimental development funding accounted for 11.3% and 81.5%, respectively. By type of performer, R&D funding of various enterprises was 3,039.44 billion yuan, up 7.7% over the previous year; funding of government-affiliated research institutions was 457.23 billion yuan, up 8.1%; funding of higher education institutions was 340.73 billion yuan, up 11.1%; funding of other performers was 91.42 billion yuan, up 11.7%. The shares of funding of enterprises, government-affiliated research institutions, and higher education institutions were 77.4%, 11.6%, and 8.7%, respectively. By industrial sector, R&D funding of large and medium-sized high-tech manufacturing enterprises was 843.07 billion yuan, up 9.9% over the previous year; funding intensity (ratio to operating revenue) was 3.38%, up 0.03 percentage points from the previous year. Among large and medium-sized industrial enterprises, there were 8 major industry categories with R&D funding exceeding 100 billion yuan, accounting for 69.4% of the R&D funding of all large and medium-sized industrial enterprises, up 1.2 percentage points from the previous year. By region, there were 6 provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government) with R&D funding exceeding 200 billion yuan, namely Guangdong (551.04 billion yuan), Jiangsu (494.82 billion yuan), Beijing (369.61 billion yuan), Zhejiang (317.72 billion yuan), Shandong (282.57 billion yuan), and Shanghai (258.05 billion yuan). There were 7 provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government) with R&D funding intensity (ratio to regional GDP) above the national average, in order: Beijing (7.10%), Shanghai (4.55%), Guangdong (3.78%), Jiangsu (3.48%), Tianjin (3.47%), Zhejiang (3.36%), and Anhui (2.86%). II. Fiscal Spending on Science and Technology In 2025, national fiscal spending on science and technology was 1,318.45 billion yuan, an increase of 55.53 billion yuan, or 4.4%, over the previous year. Of this, central government fiscal spending on science and technology was 447.32 billion yuan, accounting for 33.9% of national fiscal spending on science and technology; local government fiscal spending on science and technology was 871.12 billion yuan, accounting for 66.1%. This article is excerpted from the National Bureau of Statistics. GMTEight editor: Chen Wenfang.