China’s sci-fi industry generated 126.1 billion yuan, marking steady growth across literature, film, gaming and emerging AI-driven content.
The total revenue of China’s science fiction industry reached 126.1 billion yuan (about £13.9 billion) in 2025, according to a report released at the China Science Fiction Convention 2026 in Beijing on March 27th, CNS reported.
Total revenue has exceeded 100 billion yuan for three consecutive years, signalling that the industry is steadily entering a new stage of high-quality development.
The report, released by the China Research Institute for Science Popularisation, covers five core sectors of the sci-fi industry — literature, films and TV shows, video games, derivative products, and themed tourism. It highlights the latest development trends and future trajectories.
Strong Growth across Major Sectors
Sci-fi literature generated 5.19 billion yuan (about £570 million) in revenue in 2025. The sector has maintained growth for eight consecutive years. Digital reading remains a key driver, contributing 3.73 billion yuan (about £410 million).
Revenue from films and TV shows reached 8.16 billion yuan (about £900 million), up 21.6 per cent year on year. The market continues to recover, while domestic sci-fi dramas and animated productions expand their reach. AI-generated content is also gaining ground, especially in short video formats.
Video games remained the largest segment of the industry. Revenue totalled 77.91 billion yuan (about £8.6 billion), marking an 8.5 per cent increase from the previous year. Mobile games dominate the market, and Chinese sci-fi titles continue to perform well overseas.
New Growth Areas and Rising Global Interest
Derivative products generated 7.07 billion yuan (about £780 million) in revenue, showing rapid expansion. Themed tourism brought in 27.77 billion yuan (about £3.1 billion), supported by the growth of immersive experiences and sci-fi attractions.
The report also introduces sci-fi-related technology and equipment as a new area of observation. This segment generated 24.74 billion yuan (about £2.7 billion) in revenue, driven by digital production technologies, artificial intelligence, and immersive applications.
Public interest in sci-fi is rising rapidly, with online search volume increasing by 203.3 per cent year on year. Meanwhile, leading Chinese sci-fi intellectual properties are attracting a growing number of overseas audiences.
China’s sci-fi industry is forming a more integrated development model, linking content creation with technology, consumer products, and cultural tourism.
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