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China ranks itself 10th in new global innovation league table

But China has risen up the rankings faster than any other nation over the past 12 years, according to the report

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China has rapidly increased investment into research and development over the past decade, helping the country rise up the global innovation league table. Photo: Xinhua

China may be making waves in a slew of emerging industries – from robotics to electric cars – but an official Chinese research body has placed the country only 10th in its latest global innovation league table.

The report, released on Monday by the Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTED), evaluated the innovation capabilities of 40 countries that collectively account for over 85 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product.

China has risen up the rankings faster than any other nation since 2012, according to the report, but the country has remained in 10th place for the past three years.

The United States ranks first in the latest edition of the league table, followed by Switzerland. The other countries placed above China on the list are South Korea, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany.

China has made fostering domestic innovation a central policy goal in recent years, with the government setting the target of becoming a global leader in science and technology by 2035.
The country has rapidly increased investment into research and development in pursuit of this goal. In 2024, China allocated 3.6 trillion yuan (US$500 billion) for R&D, more than any other country apart from the US.

This helped China rise from 20th in the innovation league table in 2012 to 10th in 2024, with the report noting the country’s “increased investment in innovation, remarkable knowledge output, stronger corporate innovation, and an improving innovation ecosystem”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

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