National Bureau of Statistics

Ministry of Science and Technology

Ministry of Finance

15 September, 2009

In 2008, China's total expenditures on science and technology (S&T) continued to maintain a rapid growth. The expenditures of research and development (R&D) funds have increased steadily, the input intensity reached the highest level in the history.

I. Research and Experimental Development (R & D) expenditures

In 2008, national total R&D expenditures reached 461.6 billion yuan, jumping 90.58 billion yuan as compared with previous year, up by 24.4 percent, and with 1.54 percent of input intensity. The average R&D expenditure per capita by R&D personnel (full-time work) was 235 thousand yuan, 21 thousand yuan more than the previous year.

In terms of different types of activities, the expenditure on basic research hit 22.08 billion yuan, increased 26.5 percent year-on-year; the expenditure on applied research stood at 57.52 billion yuan, increased 16.7 percent; the expenditure on experimental development totaled 382.0 billion yuan, climbing 25.5 percent. The proportion of the above three items was 4.8, 12.5 and 82.8 percent respectively.

In terms of different executive departments, the expenditures by all types of enterprises reached 338.17 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 26.1 percent; the expenditures by research institutions subordinated to the government departments arrived at 81.13 billion yuan, grew 17.9 percent; the expenditures by universities amounted for 39.02 billion yuan, climbing 24 percent. The proportion of expenditures among enterprises, research institutions and universities was 73.3, 17.6 and 8.5 percent respectively.

In terms of different industrial sectors*, there are 9 sectors having input intensity exceeded 1.0 percent in R&D funding. The proportion of special equipment manufacturing stood at 1.93 percent, 1.74 percent for pharmaceutical manufacturing, 1.59 percent for general equipment manufacturing, 1.44 percent for transportation equipment manufacturing, 1.27 percent for rubber manufacturing and communications equipment, computer and other electronic equipment manufacturing respectively, 1.22 percent for instrumentation, and cultural, office machinery manufacturing, and 1.06 percent for chemical fiber manufacturing industry.

In terms of different regions, there were 6 provinces and municipalities with R&D expenditures more than 30 billion yuan; they are Jiangsu, Beijing, Guangdong, Shandong, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. The total expenditures of the above 6 provinces and municipalities reached at 276.75 billion yuan, accounting for 60 percent to national total expenditures. There were 6 provinces and municipalities with R&D expenditures intensity at or above national average level: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.