Research and development expenditure exceeds 3.9 trillion yuan - Statistical Bulletin on National Science and Technology Expenditure in 2025

This article is reprinted. Source: Analysis and Testing Encyclopedia

Recently, the National Bureau of Statistics released the statistical bulletin on the national science and technology expenditure in 2025. In 2025, the total investment in research and development (R&D) in China exceeded 3.9 trillion yuan, reaching 3,928.82 billion yuan, an increase of 8.2% over the previous year, maintaining a stable growth trend. The R&D expenditure of the instrument and meter manufacturing industry reached 45.7 billion yuan, with an expenditure intensity of 3.92%, an increase of 13.9% compared to 40.12 billion yuan in 2024.

Data shows that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's R&D expenditure grew at an average annual rate of 10.0%, ranking among the top in the world's major economies. At present, China's total R&D expenditure ranks second in the world, only after the United States. It is 3.4 times that of Germany (third place) and 3.5 times that of Japan (fourth place).

-- Statistical Bulletin on National Science and Technology Expenditure in 2025 --

National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance

October 16, 2026

By 2025, the national investment in research and development (R&D) will maintain a stable growth, with the intensity of investment increasing rapidly. The proportion of basic research funds will steadily rise, and the national fiscal expenditure on science and technology will continue to increase.

I. Research and Development (R&D) Funding Situation

In 2025, a total of 3,928.82 billion yuan was invested in research and development (R&D) across the country, an increase of 296.13 billion yuan compared with the previous year, representing a growth of 8.2%. The intensity of research and development (R&D) expenditure (as a ratio to the gross domestic product [2]) was 2.80%, an increase of 0.11 percentage points over the previous year. The per capita expenditure calculated based on the full-time workload of research and development (R&D) personnel was 487,000 yuan, an increase of 7,000 yuan compared with the previous year.

By activity type, the national basic research expenditure was 283.46 billion yuan, an increase of 13.3% over the previous year. The expenditure on applied research was 444.16 billion yuan, increasing by 3.2%. The funds for experimental development reached 3,201.2 billion yuan, an increase of 8.4%. The proportion of funds for basic research was 7.21%, an increase of 0.33 percentage points compared with the previous year. The proportions of funds for applied research and experimental development were 11.3% and 81.5% respectively.

By activity entity, the research and development (R&D) expenditure of all types of enterprises reached 3,039.44 billion yuan, an increase of 7.7% over the previous year. The funding for government-affiliated research institutions was 457.23 billion yuan, an increase of 8.1%. The funds for higher education institutions reached 340.73 billion yuan, an increase of 11.1%. Other main body funds amounted to 91.42 billion yuan, an increase of 11.7%. The proportions of funds from enterprises, government-affiliated research institutions and higher education institutions were 77.4%, 11.6% and 8.7% respectively.

By industrial sector, the research and development (R&D) expenditure of high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size was 843.07 billion yuan, an increase of 9.9% over the previous year. The input intensity (as a ratio to operating income) was 3.38%, an increase of 0.03 percentage points compared with the previous year. Among the industrial enterprises above designated size, there are 8 major industry categories with research and development (R&D) expenditure exceeding 100 billion yuan, accounting for 69.4% of the total R&D expenditure of all industrial enterprises above designated size, an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared with the previous year (for details, see Appendix 1).

By region, there are six provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government) that have invested over 200 billion yuan in research and development (R&D), 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 are 7 provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government) where the intensity of research and development (R&D) expenditure (as a ratio to regional GDP [3]) exceeds the national average. They are Beijing (7.10%), Shanghai (4.55%), Guangdong (3.78%), Jiangsu (3.48%), Tianjin (3.47%), Zhejiang (3.36%) and Anhui (2.86%) in sequence (for details, see Appendix 2).

Ii. Expenditure on Science and Technology by the fiscal Budget

In 2025, the national fiscal expenditure on science and technology will reach 1,318.45 billion yuan, an increase of 55.53 billion yuan over the previous year, representing a growth of 4.4%. Among them, the central government's fiscal expenditure on science and technology was 447.32 billion yuan, accounting for 33.9% of the national fiscal expenditure on science and technology. Local fiscal expenditure on science and technology was 871.12 billion yuan, accounting for 66.1%.

Note

Explanation of main indicators

Research and development (R&D) funds

It refers to all the actual expenditures incurred during the reporting period for the implementation of research and development (R&D) activities. Research and Development (R&D) refers to creative and systematic work carried out to increase the stock of knowledge (including knowledge about humanity, culture and society) and to design new applications of existing knowledge. It includes three types: basic research, applied research and R&D. Internationally, the scale and intensity of research and development (R&D) activities are usually adopted as indicators to reflect a country's scientific and technological strength and core competitiveness.

Basic research

It refers to an experimental or theoretical work that does not preconceive a specific application or usage purpose, whose main objective is to obtain the basic principles, laws and new knowledge of (occurred) phenomena and observable facts.

Applied Research

It refers to the initial research carried out to acquire new knowledge and achieve a specific practical purpose or goal. Applied research is aimed at determining the possible uses of basic research results or identifying new methods for achieving specific and predetermined goals.

Experimental development

It refers to systematic research conducted to develop new products, processes or improve existing ones by utilizing knowledge obtained from scientific research, practical experience and other knowledge generated during the research process.

2. Statistical scope

The statistical scope of research and development (R&D) funds covers all enterprises and institutions in society that engage in R&D activities, specifically including government-affiliated research institutions, higher education institutions, and industries with relatively intensive R&D activities (including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, mining, manufacturing, power, heat, gas and water production and supply industries). Enterprises and institutions in the construction industry, transportation, warehousing and postal services, information transmission, software and information technology services, finance, leasing and business services, scientific research and technical services, water conservancy, environment and public facilities management, health and social work, culture, sports and entertainment, etc.

3. Investigation methods

The investigation method for research and development (R&D) funds is: Large-scale industrial enterprises, special and first-class construction enterprises, large-scale service enterprises (including transportation, warehousing and postal services, information transmission, software and information technology services, leasing and business services, scientific research and technical services, water conservancy, environment and public facilities management, health and social work, culture, sports and entertainment) Government-affiliated research institutions (government-affiliated independent legal person scientific research and technological development institutions, scientific and technological information and literature institutions, etc.) and other non-enterprise legal person units in the scientific research and technical service industry, as well as higher education institutions and affiliated hospitals, are obtained through comprehensive investigations. The data for industrial enterprises and service enterprises below designated size was estimated through sampling surveys. The key investigation was conducted on enterprises related to scientific research and breeding and tertiary grade A hospitals not included in the statistics of the science and technology and education departments. Enterprises and public institutions in other industries obtain it by means of relevant data estimation and other methods.