According to research by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, ten major metropolitan regions are forming in China. Together, they constitute about one-tenth (9.99%) of China's land area, one-third (35.02%) of the country's population and one-half (52.83%) of the country's GDP (as in 2005). Among them, the largest three have been established since the beginning of China's economic reform and are expected to remain the leading force of the country's economic development in the coming decades.