Finland vs South Africa: Annual patent applications

Finland
1,557
in 2021
South Africa
1,804
in 2021
Finland rank
24th
South Africa rank
21st

Annual patent applications over time

  • Finland
  • South Africa
01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k198020002021

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1,804 against 1,557 in Finland, a difference of 247.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Finland's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.

Finland ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 21st of 135 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Finland South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 1,718 4,123 2,405 South Africa
1990s 2,228 717.6 1,510 Finland
2000s 2,017 918.8 1,098 Finland
2010s 1,474 707 767.1 Finland
2020s 1,572 1,173 399.5 Finland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual patent applications, Finland or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1,804 against 1,557 in Finland as of 2021.
What is the difference in annual patent applications between Finland and South Africa?
247, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and South Africa?
42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do Finland and South Africa rank globally for annual patent applications?
Finland ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 21st of 135 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Annual patent applications. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Finland vs South Africa: Annual patent applications. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/annual-patent-applications/finland/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual patent applications
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
135 places, 3,804 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed