At the 9th Digital China Summit held recently in Fuzhou, a landmark report illuminated the staggering scale and speed of China's digital transformation. The National Data Resources Survey Report (2025) revealed that the country's total data production soared to 52.26 zettabytes (ZB) last year, marking a remarkable 27.28% increase from 2024.
To grasp the magnitude of this figure, experts at the summit noted that it is equivalent to nearly 30 times the total storage capacity of all computing centers nationwide. On the global stage, this output constituted 27.44% of the world's total data, underscoring China's pivotal role in the international digital ecosystem.
"Sectors growing by more than 10% are generally considered high-growth industries," remarked Jiang Mingtao, head of the China Center for Information Industry Development. He highlighted that China's total data production has accelerated for three consecutive years, with the robust growth in 2025 primarily fueled by enterprise data. As smart manufacturing and the industrial internet continue their rapid expansion, data generated by industry and IT services now account for nearly half of all industry data output, signaling the profound impact of digital transformation on data supply.
The report pinpointed several high-flying sectors. Data production in embodied AI witnessed an astronomical surge of 477.78% in 2025, while the burgeoning low-altitude economy saw a 75% increase. Furthermore, the usage of AI tokens—the fundamental units of information processed by large models—experienced explosive growth. Average daily token calls skyrocketed from over 1 trillion at the start of the year to 100 trillion by year-end, with total annual calls reaching approximately 2,110 quadrillion.
This data deluge is more than just a number; it narrates the story of an economy undergoing deep digitization. The figures reflect accelerating innovation in artificial intelligence, next-generation industries, and enterprise efficiency. For global observers, business professionals, and investors, China's data trajectory offers critical insights into where technological advancement and economic value are being concentrated at a breathtaking pace.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
