China's Maritime Economy Index Rises 2.2 Percent in 2025

Beijing (ANTARA) - China’s marine economy continued to show progress in high-quality development in 2025, with a key development index rising 2.2 percent from 2024 to 128.8, according to the China Marine Economy Development Index 2026 released by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The index, compiled by the National Marine Data and Information Service, uses 2015 as the base year with a base value of 100. It provides a quantitative assessment of China’s marine economy across various aspects, including development scale and performance, structural optimisation and upgrading, resource conservation and utilisation, economic activity and foreign trade, and public wellbeing. China’s Gross Ocean Product (GOP) reached 11 trillion yuan (approximately 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to the previous year. The sub-index for development scale and performance rose 1.7 percent to 128.1, while the number of marine economic entities in key monitored sectors grew by 6.2 percent, indicating strengthened market vitality. The index showed that the marine industry structure continued to improve. The added value of emerging marine industries increased by 7.3 percent, with innovation advancing in fields such as simultaneous hydrogen production and magnesium extraction through direct electrolysis of natural seawater, offshore wind power, and marine artificial intelligence (AI) models. Development and utilisation of marine resources also improved. New approvals for sea and island use covered 372,000 hectares in 2025, involving investments exceeding 921.8 billion yuan. Offshore crude oil and natural gas production rose by 3.4 percent and 17 percent respectively, while offshore wind power generation increased by 3.3 percent. Despite facing external pressures, foreign trade related to the marine sector recorded steady growth. The value of imports and exports of goods transported by sea increased by 1.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 61.5 percent of China’s total goods trade, while the volume of foreign trade cargo handled by coastal ports rose by 4.7 percent. The index also indicated continuous improvement in the marine ecological environment and public wellbeing. The proportion of coastal waters with good water quality reached 84.9 percent, an increase of 1.2 percentage points, while the marine tourism sector, including island tourism, cruises, and water sports, remained one of the bright spots for growth.