https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0331/c95952-20441888.html
According to the “14th National Innovation Index Report 2025” recently released by the China Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategy, global innovation development maintains a tripolar structure of Asia, America, and Europe. China’s overall ranking among 60 nations is 9th in the world, one place higher than in the previous year.
The report evaluates the innovation capabilities of 60 countries worldwide based on 43 indicators across five areas:
- innovation resources,
- knowledge creation,
- enterprise innovation,
- innovation outcomes, and
- innovation governance.
The top 10 globally in the 2025 innovation index were
- United States,
- Switzerland,
- Sweden,
- United Kingdom,
- Germany,
- Japan,
- Denmark,
- South Korea,
- China, and
- the Netherlands.
According to Liu Dongmei, Party Secretary of the China Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategy, China is steadily progressing towards our goals of becoming an innovation-driven nation and a scientific and technological powerhouse. Since 2012, China has risen 11 places and is the fastest-progressing country and the only middle-income country to make it into the top 10.
According to the report, China’s innovation resources rank 5th globally. According to 2023 data, China’s R&D expenditure was $470.88 billion (approximately 159.9 yen per dollar), roughly half the size of that of the United States. R&D investment intensity was 2.58%, ranking 14th globally. The proportion of STEM graduates is 1st globally, the number of world-class research institutions, the number of highly cited scientists, and the number of graduate students are all 2nd globally, and the average score of the top 3 universities in the world rankings is 4th globally.
Knowledge creation ranked 10th. While China ranks first globally in the number of SCI papers, paper citations, highly cited papers, and design patent applications, it ranks low in terms of output efficiency and influence, with the ratio of papers per million dollars and highly cited papers ranking 49th and 39th globally, respectively.
Corporate innovation ranked 9th. The intensity of corporate R&D investment ranked 17th globally, China’s global share of trilateral patents was 11.9%, ranking 3rd, and the number of high-growth technology companies (unicorns and gazelles) was 598, ranking 2nd globally.
At the same time, innovation outcomes ranked 23rd. While the ratio of high-tech product exports to manufacturing exports ranked 9th globally, labor productivity remained at 48th.
Innovation governance ranked 18th. The degree of R&D cooperation between companies and universities ranked 11th, business environment policies ranked 12th, and the likelihood of startups and growth companies obtaining financing ranked 17th.