China’s human capital plans: strategic education, childcare and patents

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan calls for higher “total factor productivity.” When this measure rises, an economy is increasing its total income without using more inputs of labor or capital.

One of the ways of achieving this outcome is improving human capital through education. Another is tapping the productivity benefits from information technology. We’ve recently added a range of indicators to our platform that will help measure progress in these areas for 2026-30.

Our chart considers the range of new undergraduate courses being added to China’s universities, comparing the growth of various “strategic fields” from 2019 to 2024.

It’s notable that in 2019, courses relating to artificial intelligence and digital technology were more than half of those approved in our selected course universe. By 2024, that proportion had fallen back somewhat as biotech, green energy and other fields grew in importance.