"Seemingly ordinary yet remarkably outstanding, achieved with apparent ease but through immense effort." National Bureau of Statistics Commissioner Kang Yi stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on January 19 that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China effectively responded to a series of major risks and challenges, securing significant new socioeconomic achievements that were hard-won and far from easy. Specifically, these accomplishments are manifested in the following key areas.
—— Economic development has achieved a new leap forward. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.4%, significantly surpassing the global average, continuing to lead among the world's major economies, and serving as a primary engine for global economic growth. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) successively surpassed four major thresholds, breaking through 140 trillion yuan. Converted at the average annual exchange rate, China's per capita GDP rose from $10,632 in 2020 to $13,953 in 2025, exceeding $13,000 for three consecutive years.
—— Innovation-driven development has achieved new breakthroughs. During this period, China's national R&D expenditure grew at an average annual rate of 10%, with the proportion of basic research funding reaching a historic high of 7.08% in 2025. China has ranked first globally for three consecutive years in the number of top 100 global science and technology innovation clusters. New-generation information technologies like artificial intelligence flourished, and the integration of digital and real economies deepened; the share of computer, communication, and electronic equipment investment in enterprise production processes increased by approximately 1 percentage point, a significantly larger increase than during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period. In 2024, the value added of the digital economy rose to 33.1% of GDP, with the core digital economy industries' value added increasing to 10.5%. Furthermore, the innovation index released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's innovation index grew by 25.5% in 2024 compared to 2020, with the innovation environment and output sub-indices both increasing by 33.8%. The value added of the "Three New" economy (new industries, new business forms, new models) rose to 18% of GDP, and the value added of patent-intensive industries increased to 13.38% of GDP.
—— Reform and opening up have taken new strides. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the development of a unified national market advanced comprehensively, the business environment was continuously optimized, and the market access negative list was reduced to 106 items. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee successively deployed over 300 reform measures, and the Fourth Plenary Session also made arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reforms, pushing reforms into broader and deeper areas. China's high-standard opening up expanded continuously, the Belt and Road Initiative was deepened and substantiated, the construction of pilot free trade zones accelerated, foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector were completely eliminated, a new Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment was issued, and the institutional opening up saw continuously enhanced substance. From 2021 to 2025, China's total goods import and export value grew at an average annual rate of over 7%, with the proportion of trade with Belt and Road partner countries increasing to 51.9%.
—— Green transformation has demonstrated a new outlook. During this period, China established the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, with the share of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption rising from 16% in 2020 to over 20% in 2025. Energy consumption per unit of GDP continued to decline, making China one of the countries with the fastest decline in energy intensity globally. The world's largest and most complete new energy industry chain was built, with the average annual output growth of green products like solar cells and wind turbine generators reaching 39.6% and 31.3%, respectively. Forest coverage exceeded 25%, establishing China as the country with the largest and fastest increase in green coverage globally.
—— Improvements in people's livelihoods have achieved new results. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, new urban employment remained stable at over 12 million annually, with the overall employment situation being stable. The per capita disposable income of national residents grew at an average annual real rate of 5.4%, keeping pace with economic growth. Achievements in poverty alleviation were consolidated and expanded, with the per capita disposable income of rural residents in formerly impoverished counties continuing to grow rapidly. The world's largest education, healthcare, and social security systems were continuously strengthened, with the普及率 of education at all levels reaching or exceeding the average level of upper-middle-income countries. By 2025, the average years of education for the labor force aged 16-59 increased to 11.3 years. Cultural, tourism, and sports sectors flourished, enriching people's spiritual and cultural lives. In 2024, the value added of culture and related industries, and tourism and related industries, as a share of GDP, rose to 4.61% and 4.35%, respectively.
—— Security safeguards have achieved new progress. During this period, China's comprehensive grain production capacity continuously improved, with total grain output increasing from 1.37 trillion jin in 2021 to 1.43 trillion jin in 2025, firmly securing the Chinese people's food supply. China established a diversified energy supply system, with total primary energy production growing at an average annual rate of 5%. The resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains steadily improved, with manufacturing value added growing at an average annual rate of 5.5%. The localization rate of equipment manufacturing continuously increased, with the share of domestic manufacturing in the total supply of electrical machinery and transportation equipment both exceeding 95%.
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