《China City Intellectual Property Index Report 2025》 Released, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai Rank Top Three

the China Intellectual Property Index Research Team released the “2025 China City Intellectual Property Index Report.” The report shows that in 2025, the top 10 cities in the China City Intellectual Property Index ranking are: Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Hefei, Ningbo, and Qingdao.

Wang Zhengzhi, the team leader and partner at Gao Wen Law Firm, introduced that from a regional distribution perspective, the development level of intellectual property in China exhibits a “decreasing trend from coastal areas to inland regions.” According to the seven major regions, the total index scores for intellectual property rank from highest to lowest as South China, East China, North China, Central China, Southwest China, Northeast China, and Northwest China. From a city perspective, in 2025, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai ranked in the top three. Among them, Beijing’s total index score is 0.7739, reaching twice the city average level; Shenzhen’s total index score is 0.6432, nearly 1.6 times the city average level; and Shanghai’s total index score is 0.5512, 1.3 times the city average level.

It is worth noting that Beijing’s intellectual property output level and transformation efficiency also consistently rank first. The report shows that in secondary indicators, Beijing’s intellectual property output level (0.2577) and intellectual property flow level (0.2609) both rank first. Overall, Beijing’s intellectual property output level and transformation efficiency hold a unique comparative advantage nationwide.

Shenzhen’s performance is equally outstanding. According to the report, Shenzhen’s comprehensive intellectual property performance and intellectual property development potential both rank first in the country. While Shenzhen is weaker than Beijing in traditional output and flow indicators, it demonstrates strong advantages in comprehensive intellectual property performance and creative potential, ranking first nationwide in six secondary indicators: output efficiency, market technology, environmental improvement, structural optimization, capital investment, and intellectual property protection.

Science and education investment is a key indicator of a city’s intellectual property creative potential and serves as a core tool for measuring regional efficiency in allocating resources to science and education as well as the effectiveness of strategic implementation. The report also reveals that among the 35 cities, 18 have science and education investment above the national average, including: Hefei City, Hangzhou City, Guangzhou City, Shenzhen City, Nanjing City, Xiamen City, Changsha City, Fuzhou City, Qingdao City, Guiyang City, Wuhan City, Chengdu City, Nanning City, Zhengzhou City, Jinan City, Shijiazhuang City, Beijing City, and Ningbo City. Among them, Hefei City’s science and education investment index score of 0.0328 ranks first among the 35 cities nationwide.

It is reported that this report was jointly completed by the China Intellectual Property Index Research Team and authoritative experts from the fields of law, economics, and intellectual property, based on research, deliberation, and the integration of statistical data and relevant materials from authoritative institutions. It is a collective achievement supported and cooperated by multiple parties.