BEIJING — 6.401 billion yuan ($1 billion) was earmarked for public awareness campaigns for science in 2014, amounting to 4.68 yuan invested for each resident, a yearly increase of 1.27 yuan, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced on Nov 30.

At this rate, the country will reach its goal of investing 5 yuan per capita per year in promoting science awareness by the end of this year, a target set in its 12th Five-year (2011-2015) Plan, MOST said.

A total of 41.92 million visits have been made to the nation’s science and technology museums, an increase of 12.27 percent year on year.

Moreover, websites dedicated to popularizing scientific knowledge also grew. There were 2,652 science websites across the country in 2014, a growth of 9.14 percent from that of 2013.