The data confirms it from nearly every angle. China has overtaken the U.S. in total publication volume, in share of the most cited papers (top 1%), in registered patents and, since 2024, also in total research and development spending. Seven decades of American scientific hegemony are over.

In 2024, China published 37,273 articles in Nature Index journals against 31,900 from the U.S. Just four years earlier, in 2020, Americans were 53% ahead. China is growing at 18% annually in elite publications, while the U.S. advances barely 2.3%.

Leadership in strategic disciplines is also Chinese. China produces 2.5 times more chemistry research than the U.S., 1.7 times more physical sciences and 1.2 times more earth and environmental sciences. In artificial intelligence, according to Stanford’s 2026 AI Index, it leads in publications, citations and total patents.

In patents, dominance is absolute. As of March 2026, China holds 5.53 million valid invention patents and remains the world’s top filer for several consecutive years. In 2024 it broke records with 70,160 international PCT applications.