HAIKOU -- The China marine economy development index, a key gauge of progress in the country's ocean economy, climbed 2.3 percent year-on-year to 125.2 in 2024, signaling a robust expansion in the marine sector.

The index was released by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Sunday to mark the World Oceans Day.

Data shows that the structure of China's marine industries was optimized in 2024, with improvements seen in technological innovation capabilities. The marine economy optimization and upgrading sub-index came in at 131 in 2024, up 1.8 percent year-on-year.

Ministry statistics also show that the value-added output of emerging marine industries last year expanded 7.2 percent year-on-year. Marine-related enterprises secured 11.4 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) through IPO financing, capturing 17 percent of China's total IPO financing and underscoring vigorous capital market activity in the marine domain.