Shenzhen lawmakers have voted for 10 key projects that aim to improve people’s well-being for the year, steering the city government towards the betterment of residents’ daily lives.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that the city’s legislative body has implemented this voting scheme.
The 10 selected projects for this year were winnowed down from a pool of 12 proposed initiatives during the concluding session of the city legislature’s annual meeting today.
The chosen projects span various domains, including the advancement of medical services and healthcare capabilities, the acceleration of high-quality educational development, the cultivation of a comfortable and habitable living environment, the improvement of residents’ commuting experiences, the facilitation of robust employment opportunities, the enhancement of urban safety measures, and the application of technology for public convenience and the promotion of industries that serve the public good.
Residents take turns collecting medications at a community health center in Nanshan. Shenzhen plans to establish 30 additional community health centers in 2025 as part of its public welfare efforts.
Additionally, they include the establishment of a reliable consumer environment, the provision of care for the elderly and vulnerable populations, and the elevation of the overall ecological environment quality.
In 2024, Shenzhen spent 315.67 billion yuan (US$43.42 billion) on improving people’s well-being, accounting for nearly 70% of its general public budget expenditure, according to data from the city’s government work report.
In 2025, Shenzhen is set to allocate a substantial sum of 290.95 billion yuan across nine key areas of public welfare, which constitutes 65.3% of the city’s total fiscal expenditure.
This allocation includes 102.06 billion yuan for educational initiatives, 39.42 billion yuan for healthcare, 28.42 billion yuan for housing security, 26.6 billion yuan for social security and employment services, and 9.73 billion yuan for cultural, tourism, sports, and media development.
According to the government work report, Shenzhen will complete 15 major healthcare projects and add 30 community health centers to the city this year.
Attentive students in a classroom in an undated file photo. Shenzhen plans to spend 102.06 billion yuan for educational initiatives in 2025.
It will push forward higher education development, expand quality senior high school admissions, and increase, expand, or renovate over 50 primary and secondary schools.
Shenzhen will create 200,000 new jobs and offer new college graduates 15 days of free accommodation while they look for jobs in the city.
It will also construct and refurbish 200 kilometers of urban greenways, 150 kilometers of ecological corridors, 100 kilometers of hiking and country trails, and add more than 200 kilometers of new cycling paths.