Communiqué on National Expenditures on Science and Technology in 2012

In 2012, China’s total expenditures on science and technology (S&T) continued to maintain a stable growth. The expenditures of research and development (R&D) funds have increased steadily, the input intensity has improved.

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

In 2012, national total R&D expenditures reached 1,029.84 billion yuan, jumped 161.14 billion yuan year-on-year, up by 18.5 percent, and with 1.98 percent of input intensity (the proportion of R&D expenditures to GDP), 0.14 percentage point higher than that in the previous year, which was 1.84 percent. The average R&D expenditure per capita by R&D personnel (full-time work) was 317 thousand yuan, 16 thousand yuan more than that in the previous year.

In terms of different types of activities, the expenditure on basic research hit 49.88 billion yuan, increased 21.1 percent year-on-year; the expenditure on applied research stood at 116.2 billion yuan, increased 13.0 percent; the expenditure on experimental development totaled 863.76 billion yuan, climbing 19.2 percent. Basic research, applied research and experimental development accounted for the proportion of the total expenditure on R&D funding was 4.8, 11.3 and 83.9 percent, respectively.

In terms of different executive departments, the expenditures by all types of enterprises reached 784.22 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.2 percent; the expenditures by research institutions subordinated to the government departments arrived at 154.89 billion yuan, grew 18.5 percent; the expenditures by universities amounted for 78.06 billion yuan, climbed 13.3 percent. The proportion of expenditures among enterprises, subordinated to the government departments, and universities was 76.2, 15.0, and 7.6 percent, respectively.

In terms of different industrial sectors*, there were 10 industries with R&D expenditure exceeded 20.0 billion yuan, the total R&D expenditure of the 10 industries took a share of 73.9 percent to that of all industrial enterprises above designated size. There were 8 industries (by industry, see Appendix I) with the R&D expenditures intensity (the ratio to the principal business revenue) exceeding 1.0 percent of all industrial enterprises above designated size.

In terms of different regions, there were 6 provinces and municipalities with R&D expenditures more than 50 billion yuan; they are Jiangsu, Guangdong, Beijing, Shandong, Zhejiang and Shanghai. The total expenditures of the above 6 provinces and municipalities reached at 600.98 billion yuan, accounting for 58.4 percent to national total R&D expenditures. There were 8 provinces and municipalities with R&D expenditures intensity at or above national average level: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shaanxi (by region, see Appendix II).

II. S&T funds allocated by finance

In 2012, S&T funds allocated by national finance amounted to 560.01 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 80.31 billion yuan, and rose 16.7 percent, sharing 4.45 percent to national financial expenditure, higher than 4.39 percent in previous year.

Annotations:

1. Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators

Expenditures on Research and Development (R&D): refers to the actual expenditures spent in basic researches, applied researches and experimental development by the whole society within statistical year. Including personnel fees, material costs, purchasing and construction fees of fixed assets, management fees and other expenses that actually spent in R&D activities.

Basic Research refers to empirical or theoretical research aiming at obtaining new knowledge on the fundamental principles regarding phenomena or observable facts to reveal the intrinsic nature and underlying laws and to acquire new discoveries or new theories. Basic research takes no specific or designated application as the aim of the research.

Applied Research refers to creative research aiming at obtaining new knowledge on a specific objective or target. Purpose of the applied research is to identify the possible uses of results from basic research, or to explore new (fundamental) methods or new approaches.

Experiments and Development refer to systematic activities aiming at using the knowledge from basic and applied researches or from practical experience to develop new products, materials and equipment, to establish new production process, systems and services, or to make substantial improvement on the existing products, process or services.

2. Statistical Coverage

R&D expenditure is covered all enterprises and institutions who has R&D activities in the whole society, which including industrial enterprises, research institutions subordinated to the government departments, universities, and enterprises and institutions in the industries with relatively intensive R&D activities (including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, construction, transportation, storage and postal industries, information transmission, computer services and software industry, finance, rent and business services, scientific research, technical services and geological prospecting, water conservancy, environment, and public facilities management industry, health, social security and social welfare, culture, sports and entertainment, etc.).

3. Data Collection:

Expenditure on R&D: complete survey were applied to the industrial enterprises above designated size, research institutions subordinated to the government departments, and universities, while for other enterprise and institutions, several methods were used, i.e, the complete survey, key survey and estimation according to the data from the Second National Survey on R&D Resources.

4. Data Revision

In order to normalize financial allocation for science and technology, the statistical caliber of financial allocation for science and technology in 2012 was adjusted by the Ministry of Finance, and data from 2007 to 2011 was revised accordingly. The revision of historical data was as follows: 

*Industrial sector only includes data from medium and large sized industrial enterprises.