Abstract: Against the backdrop of a moderate global economic recovery, the profound transformation of the mining industry, and the steady growth of China’s economy, the demand for high-quality domestic economic development continues to rise for the supply of critical mineral resources and the safeguarding of ecological geological security. This has driven China’s geological exploration investment to achieve five consecutive years of positive growth from 2021 to 2025, marking the official entry of the geological exploration industry into a new phase of high-quality development. Based on data from the National Geological Exploration Results Direct Reporting System, this paper systematically analyzes the evolution characteristics of China’s geological exploration investment from 2021 to 2025: total geological exploration investment in China increased from 17.381 billion yuan to 25.250 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 9.8%, demonstrating a steady recovery trend; the proportion of social capital investment steadily rose, while market entities’ willingness to invest gradually strengthened; the professional structure of geological exploration investment continued to optimize, forming an investment pattern characterized by “strong foundations, emphasis on mineral exploration, and stable environmental conditions”; regional investment distribution tilted toward the western regions, with the proportion of exploration investment in the west steadily rebounding, while that in the central and eastern regions remained relatively stable. In 2025, non-oil/gas mineral exploration investment in China reached 16.293 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.1%. Fiscal funds accounted for over 50% of mineral exploration investment, while social capital investment remained relatively stable. The growth rate of non-oil/gas mineral exploration investment in central and western regions exceeded the national average, with the top five provinces in investment ranking achieving a year-on-year increase of 24.4%. Exploration of non-ferrous and precious metal minerals became a hotspot, with strategic mineral species contributing nearly half of newly discovered mineral deposits. Looking ahead to 2026, China’s geological exploration industry will maintain a steady recovery trend, achieving phased breakthroughs through policy continuity, technological innovation, and optimized layouts, while continuously improving the resource security guarantee system and laying a solid foundation for the high-quality development of geological exploration during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.