China reports production of 32.85 ZB of data in 2023

A visitor views a piece of glass equipped with 5G antenna at the hand-on experience area during the 7th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

FUZHOU, May 24 (Xinhua) -- China generated 32.85 zettabytes of data in 2023, up 22.44 percent year on year, according to a report released on Friday afternoon at the seventh Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, east China's Fujian Province.

According to the 2023 edition of the national data resource survey report, China experienced explosive growth in unstructured data production in 2023. The rapid development of 5G and AI technologies, along with the widespread use of smart devices, contributed significantly to the increase in total data volume through content creation and audiovisual media.

In terms of data storage, China's cumulative data storage volume reached 1.73 zettabytes in 2023, with its storage space utilization rate climbing to 59 percent.

By the end of 2023, the scale of computing power across more than 2,200 computing centers nationwide had grown by approximately 30 percent year on year. The demand for computing power for large model training surged, with increased need observed in the scientific, governmental, financial and industrial sectors, according to the report.

It also suggested that China's overall management and utilization of data resources remain in their initial stages, with challenges such as inadequate effective data supply persisting.