China's New Economic Drivers Grew 12.5% in 2025, Statistical Bureau Says

China's New Growth Drivers Index rose 12.5% year-on-year to 153.0 in 2025, according to calculations released by the National Bureau of Statistics. Sub-indices measuring industrial transformation and upgrading posted the sharpest gains at 22.7%, followed by innovation-driven momentum at 12.9% and the network economy at 10.8%. Officials framed the figures as evidence that strategic emerging sectors and digital infrastructure continue to support structural rebalancing toward higher-value manufacturing and consumption.

The New Growth Drivers Index serves as Beijing's primary statistical benchmark to evaluate whether higher-value industries—such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced green tech—are expanding quickly enough to replace traditional growth engines like real estate and heavy infrastructure. Sustained double-digit gains in innovation and transformation indices suggest that state-directed capital allocation toward technology supply chains is maintaining momentum, even as overall economic growth moderates.

China's new economic growth drivers expanded significantly in 2025, buoyed by accelerating industrial transformation and state-backed research initiatives, according to calculations released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The comprehensive New Growth Drivers Index reached 153.0 in 2025, representing a 12.5% increase compared to the prior year, the state-run People's Daily reported. All constituent categories registered annual improvements, with industrial upgrading and technological innovation providing the largest contributions to total index growth. Lv Haiqi, director of the Statistical Science Research Institute under the NBS, noted that the continued expansion of these drivers demonstrates strengthening economic resilience and progress in transitioning toward high-quality development. Among the component indices, the transformation and upgrading index recorded the strongest performance, rising 22.7% to 156.8. Official reporting attributed this acceleration to ongoing digital transformation across manufacturing, the rollout of the 'AI+' initiative, and green upgrading in traditional heavy industries. The innovation-driven sub-index advanced 12.9% to 156.3. Authorities cited expanded national strategic science capabilities and continuous investment across fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics, and quantum computing as principal drivers of this increase. Digital economy infrastructure and evolving consumer habits also supported overall growth. The network economy index climbed 10.8% to 157.8, supported by the buildout of digital networks, optimized national computing power distribution, and the commercial adoption of smart hardware and AI-enabled software agents. In contrast to the double-digit surges in technology and infrastructure categories, the economic vitality index registered a more moderate gain, rising 4.8% to 137.2. The report linked this baseline growth to structural market reforms, including updated negative lists for market access, guidelines to establish a unified national market, and efforts to streamline factor allocation for market entities. The composite metrics suggest that while advanced sectors are absorbing substantial policy support and research capital, broader market dynamism remains measured as standard business operations adjust to ongoing regulatory and macro transitions.