Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the morning of January 19th, the State Council Information Office held a press conference where Kang Yi, Director of the National Bureau of Statistics, introduced the performance of the national economy in 2025 and answered questions from reporters. He stated that as the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, 2025 saw my country's economy forge ahead despite pressure, moving towards innovation and improvement, successfully achieving its main expected targets and making a good start for the new journey toward the second centenary goal. The year's economic performance can be summarized as "stability, progress, innovation, and resilience."
First, the pattern of "stability" was continuously consolidated. Faced with a complex and severe domestic and international environment, my country relied on proactive and effective macroeconomic policies to stabilize its development. In 2025, GDP exceeded 140 trillion yuan for the first time, growing by 5.0% year-on-year; the average urban surveyed unemployment rate was 5.2%, with overall employment remaining stable; goods trade reached a new high, and foreign exchange reserves exceeded 3.3 trillion US dollars. Achieving stable development for such a large economy is truly remarkable.
Second, the pace of "progress" was solid and powerful. my country adhered to high-quality development, accelerated the transformation of old and new growth drivers, and the economy moved towards improvement and better performance. The economic structure continued to optimize, with the added value of high-tech manufacturing above designated size accounting for 17.1% of the total industrial output above designated size, and final consumption contributing over 50% to economic growth. Reform and opening up deepened and became more practical, with the construction of a unified national market progressing, the implementation of the Law on Promoting the Private Economy, and the commencement of island-wide customs closure operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Total import and export volume increased by 3.8% year-on-year. People's livelihoods were effectively protected, with per capita disposable income increasing by 5.0% in real terms, in line with economic growth, and steady progress made in areas such as elderly care, childcare, and healthcare.
Third, new drivers of growth accelerated. The economy exhibited a clear trend towards innovation, with R&D expenditure intensity reaching 2.8%, exceeding the OECD average for the first time, and my country's innovation index ranking among the top ten globally. Numerous achievements were made in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology, and new-quality productivity continued to develop. The added value of digital product manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.3%, and the output of servers and industrial robots grew rapidly. The green economy flourished, with new energy vehicles accounting for over 50% of domestic new car sales.
Fourth, resilience became increasingly prominent. Despite disruptions to the global trade order and the growing pains of domestic economic transformation, my country's economy has achieved both quantitative and qualitative growth, ranking among the top major economies in terms of growth rate and contributing approximately 30% to global economic growth. Foreign trade has demonstrated strong resilience, becoming a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions. High-tech and high-value-added products have become the main drivers of exports, with high-tech product exports projected to increase by 13.2% year-on-year in 2025.
Kang Yi emphasized that these four key performance indicators demonstrate the solid foundation, numerous advantages, and great potential of my country's economy, a result of the hard work and dedication of the entire nation. At the same time, it is also necessary to acknowledge the deepening impact of the external environment and the challenges of strong domestic supply and weak demand. The next step will focus on stabilizing expectations and strengthening endogenous growth drivers to ensure steady and sustainable economic development. (End)
