Ships sail on the Nantong section of the Yangtze River. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in Jiangsu province anticipates 5.3 percent GDP growth for 2025, as outlined in a government work report delivered by Mayor Zhang Tong on Jan 21.

Last year, the per capita disposable income for its urban residents reached 68,000 yuan ($9,764.73), while rural residents saw their average disposable income hit 37,000 yuan.

Throughout the past year, Nantong actively worked to strengthen and sustain the positive momentum of economic recovery.

By leveraging the promotional power of the Jiangsu Football City League, the city attracted over 85 million tourists, generating more than 100 billion yuan in tourism revenue.

For the first time, the city's total import and export value exceeded 440 billion yuan, reflecting a 12.3 percent rise, while cross-border e-commerce transactions surged by 66.7 percent.

In 2025, Nantong concentrated on fostering a deep integration of technological and industrial innovation. The output value of its six key industrial clusters surpassed 1.3 trillion yuan. The city attracted 2,035 scientific and technological innovation projects, and the number of its high-tech enterprises exceeded 5,000.

For three straight years, Nantong has been recognized as an innovative city for its business environment.

Nantong has also prioritized enhancing residents' sense of happiness and security. Over the past year, the city renovated 33 old residential communities and 4,299 urban villages, added over 2,400 new public parking spaces, created 100,000 new jobs, and attracted 60,010 university graduates.

Last year marked the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan. During that period, Nantong accelerated its high-quality development, emphasizing innovation and transformation, continuously enhancing the city's comprehensive strength.

Having surpassed the trillion-yuan mark in 2020, the city's GDP is expected to reach 1.3 trillion yuan in 2025. The average economic output of its counties and districts has exceeded 160 billion yuan, and the urban-rural income ratio has narrowed to 1.85.