The future industry represents a strategic choice for driving technological innovation, promoting industrial upgrading, and fostering new quality productive forces. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces from 2013 to 2023, this article constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for future industries, and uses entropy method, Dagum Gini coefficient and kernel density estimation to measure and analyze the development level of China’s industries in the future. The research findings indicate that during the observation period, the overall level of future industrial development in China showed a growth trend. Although the future industrial development levels in most provinces were relatively low, they maintained a strong growth momentum. Further research indicates that the future development level of industries in China follows the pattern of “eastern region＞central region＞northeastern region＞western region”. The disparity in the development level of future industries is showing an expanding trend, and the regional differences are the main source of the future industrial development disparities in China. Furthermore, the polarization phenomenon of China’s future industrial development level has gradually weakened, and the development trend has become relatively stable with gradient leapfrogging characteristics. Based on the above conclusions, it is necessary to strengthen top-level design, adhere to differentiated policies, focus on differentiated development, enhance coordination and collaboration, build an open and inclusive future industrial ecosystem, and develop future industries in accordance with local conditions.