Development index shows China's digital push is gaining speed

FUZHOU -- China's digital transformation is gaining strong momentum, with its Digital China development index climbing to 150.51 in 2024, up 10.65 percent from the previous year, according to the National Data Administration's national institute for data development.

The index, which rose 10.1 percent in 2023, is a benchmark for the assessment of China's digital progress.

The institute developed the index system, which covers 10 primary and 47 secondary indicators.

In 2024, five of the primary indicators saw double-digit growth, with particularly strong momentum in the development of digital infrastructure and digital technology, with those indicators rising a respective 17.55 percent and 13.56 percent year-on-year.

Among notable individual indicators, the added value of China's core digital industries accounted for about 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product, and China's total data generation came in at 41.06 zettabytes, marking a robust 25 percent year-on-year increase.

According to institute head Hu Jianbo, the rapid development of emerging fields such as artificial intelligence is placing new demands on data development.

Hu emphasized the importance of advancing market-oriented data reforms and the national "AI Plus" initiative to accelerate the construction of a Digital China, while also strengthening computing infrastructure, enhancing data quality and promoting data circulation.

According to official data, China's digital industry generated a total business revenue of 35 trillion yuan ($4.86 trillion) in 2024, up 5.5 percent year-on-year, with total profits increasing 3.5 percent to 2.7 trillion yuan.

Hu noted that ongoing monitoring and timely updates to the Digital China development index will play an important role in steering the nation's digital push.

The latest index data was released at the eighth Digital China Summit, which began on Tuesday and will close on Wednesday in Fuzhou, the capital of East China's Fujian province.