On December 25, the Yangtze River Delta Integration Development Statistical Monitoring Office of the National Bureau of Statistics released information showing that the Yangtze River Delta regional development index in 2024 was 135.0 (with 2015 as the base year), an increase of 2.6 compared to 2023. Since the Yangtze River Delta integration development was elevated to a national strategy in 2018, the Yangtze River Delta regional development index has increased by an average of 3.3 per year.
Overall, in 2024, the Yangtze River Delta region thoroughly studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the symposium on further promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Its status and role as a strong and dynamic growth pole and a model area for high-quality development were continuously consolidated. Cross-regional collaboration in scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation was continuously deepened. High-level opening up took new steps, joint protection and governance of the ecological environment presented a new look, and people's well-being reached a new level. It continued to play a leading and exemplary role in China's modernization.
The Yangtze River Delta region has demonstrated a leading role in high-quality regional economic development. Its demonstration and leading index has increased year by year, reaching 129.8 in 2024, a 2.4 increase from 2023. In 2024, the Yangtze River Delta's economic scale continued to expand, achieving a GDP of 33.17 trillion yuan, 1.5 times that of 2018, accounting for 24.7% of the national total. The digital economy is booming, with the added value of the region's information transmission, software, and information technology services industry reaching 1.88 trillion yuan, 2.3 times that of 2018, accounting for nearly 30% of the national total. New-type productivity has been cultivated and strengthened, with the proportion of the region's strategic emerging industries' total industrial output increasing year by year.
Innovation capacity has continued to strengthen, and the effects of collaborative innovation have become apparent. The innovation co-construction index in the Yangtze River Delta region has improved significantly, reaching 160.6 in 2024, an increase of 8.2 from 2023, and an average annual increase of 6.4 compared to 2018. In 2024, R&D investment in the Yangtze River Delta region grew rapidly, with regional R&D expenditure reaching 1.12 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.5% from 2023, accounting for 30.9% of the national total; the regional R&D intensity reached 3.39%. Scientific and technological innovation outputs were fruitful, with nearly 300,000 new invention patents in the region, and more than 12 new invention patents per 10,000 people, 1.6 times that of 2018. The five national laboratories played a prominent role as "general platforms and chain leaders," effectively undertaking major tasks such as national science and technology projects and platform infrastructure construction.
Interconnectivity continued to advance, and coordinated development steadily improved. In 2024, the Yangtze River Delta Regional Coordinated Development Index increased by an average of 4.4 points annually compared to 2018. The level of regional infrastructure connectivity continued to improve. By the end of 2024, the operating mileage of railways in the Yangtze River Delta region exceeded 15,000 kilometers, an increase of 43.6% compared to the end of 2018; the mileage of expressways was approximately 18,000 kilometers, an increase of 20.8% compared to the end of 2018. Coordinated regional development steadily progressed. In 2024, the inter-provincial gap in per capita disposable income within the region narrowed from 2.68:1 in 2018 to 2.40:1, and the income ratio between urban and rural residents in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui continued to narrow.
The quality of the ecological environment has been further improved, and significant progress has been made in green co-protection. The green co-protection index of the Yangtze River Delta region reached 163.8 in 2024, an average annual increase of 5.6 compared with 2018. In 2024, the region's ambient air quality further improved, the supervision of key transboundary water bodies was further strengthened, and the overall water quality of Taihu Lake reached Class III, the best level in 30 years. Progress has been made in green and low-carbon transformation, with the proportion of renewable energy in the region's total energy consumption increasing by 1.8 percentage points compared with 2023.
The export-oriented economy demonstrated resilience, and open and win-win cooperation progressed steadily. The Yangtze River Delta region maintained a high level of openness, with its regional open and win-win index reaching 106.6 in 2024. Foreign trade reached a record high, with the region's total import and export volume exceeding 16 trillion yuan, accounting for 36.5% of the national total. While actual use of foreign capital decreased by 23.3% year-on-year, its share of the national total increased from 43.9% in 2023 to 46.3% in 2024. Significant progress was made in the construction of a world-class port cluster, with the region's coastal ports handling over 3 billion tons of cargo, accounting for 27.2% of the national total. The China International Import Expo (CIIE) continued to play its role as a high-level platform for openness, with intended transactions exceeding US$80 billion at the 7th CIIE in 2024.
Deepening the convenience and sharing of public services has led to continuous improvement in people's well-being. The Yangtze River Delta region's public welfare sharing index has steadily increased, averaging 3.1% annually compared to 2018. In 2024, the region's per capita disposable income reached 57,137 yuan, a nominal increase of 5.2% year-on-year; per capita public fiscal expenditure reached 19,600 yuan, 1.3 times that of 2018. Medical service levels have been continuously improved, and public services have become more convenient and shared.
