Jiangsu is one of the relatively developed provinces in economy in China. It has a long agricultural history, and has become an important base of commercial grains and cottons in China. Jiangsu possesses developed industry with powerful base. It has formulated an industry system with sizable scale and complete categories. Its industrial product value has listed the first place in China for many years.

The infrastructure of Jiangsu Province is relatively complete, such as wonderful network of highway and harbor to great river and sea. Jinghu (from Beijing to Shanghai), Longhai (from Lanzhou to Lianyungang) railways extend throughout the whole province, among these, Longhai railway meets Russia in the west and reaches Rotterdam of Netherlands, which well-known as "New Asian-Europen Continental Bridge". Lianyungang is the oriental bridgehead. Nanjing Lukou Airport is an International Airport, and Hu-ning Highway (from Shanghai to Nanjing) connects with Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Part Index of Provincial Foundational Facilities Construction by the End of 2003

 * Total length of arterial highway: 2003 km; Density of expressway stands the first place of the country
* Class-A harbors opening to the outside world: 11; Over 10,000-ton-class deep-water harbors: 150
* Civil airport: 9
* Volume of telephone: 22,925,000
* Mobile telephone user: 20,385,000
* Computer exchange network user: 4,055,000
* Electric installed capacity: 22,080,000KW

In 2003, the total value of imports and exports in the province was 113.67 billion U.S. dollars. The actual foreign direct investment was 15.8 billion US$. There are 87 province-level and state-level development zones, among which 12 ones are state-level development zones, 8 ones are export processing zones.

There are 323,000 technicians who are engaged in scientific and technological activities. Furthermore there are 88 academicians and engineer academicians of China Science Academy whose titles represent the highest achievements and honor in the scientific fields of China. There are 105 colleges and universities. In 2003, the new & hi-tech enterprises amounted to 2176 in Jiangsu. The output value of the new & hi-tech industry of above designated size industrial enterprises (those state-owned or nonstate-owned industrial enterprises with annual reverue sales of over RMB 5 million yuan) was RMB382.80 billion yuan, which is more than that in 2002 by 51.4％, and the output value of new industrial products reached RMB155.43 billion yuan, more than in 2002 by 15.2％.

The income and living level of urban and rural residents in Jiangsu has improved constantly. The structure of the consuming expenditure has changed greatly. The Engel coefficient decreased dramatically. All kinds of durable consumer goods popularized day by day. The natural population growth rate was 2.01‰ in the province.

The economy and social development of Jiangsu has stepped into a new stage. Jiangsu faces actively the new chanllenges and makes great success to take the lead to build a richer society of moderate level of prosperity comprehensively and to realize modernization.