Abstract: This paper conducts a comparative analysis and comprehensive study of the situation of prospecting rights and geological exploration investment in China from multiple dimensions such as time, space, and structure, including time series and factor correlation analysis based on detailed statistical data. The purpose is to provide a reference basis for government management departments to formulate policies and planning. This research paper reveals the main factors, underlying logic, and development laws affecting prospecting rights and geological exploration investment, and draws the following conclusions. Influenced by the slowdown of the macroeconomic growth at home and abroad, as well as geopolitical factors, especially domestic industry policies and ecological environmental pressures, the number of prospecting rights, geological exploration investment, and new mineral discoveries in China during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period have continued to decrease significantly. During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, the newly established prospecting rights decreased by 52.1% compared to the previous period, while the number of canceled prospecting rights was more than 3.7 times that of the "12th Five-Year Plan" period. The registration area of oil and gas mineral prospecting rights and geological exploration investment accounted for 96% and 77.6% of the national total, respectively; non-oil and gas prospecting rights accounted for more than 90% nationwide, with nearly 60% of non-oil and gas prospecting rights located in western regions; in non-oil and gas geological exploration investment, investments in water conservancy, environmental protection, and technology accounted for a large proportion. It is expected that China will increase exploration investment in the fields of energy minerals, strategic minerals, and geological exploration investment will emerge from its low point after 2024.