France vs India: Annual patent applications
France
13,386
in 2021
India
26,267
in 2021
France rank
8th
India rank
6th
Annual patent applications over time
- France
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 26,267 against 13,386 in France, a difference of 12,881.
That makes India's figure about 2.0 times France's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 41 shared years of data; in 1980 it was France ahead.
France ranks 8th and India ranks 6th of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, France averaged higher in 4 and India in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11,765 | 1,051 | 10,715 | France |
| 1990s | 12,810 | 1,604 | 11,206 | France |
| 2000s | 14,096 | 4,511 | 9,586 | France |
| 2010s | 14,447 | 12,644 | 1,803 | France |
| 2020s | 13,078 | 24,704 | 11,626 | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications, France or India?
- India, at 26,267 against 13,386 in France as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications between France and India?
- 12,881, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and India?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do France and India rank globally for annual patent applications?
- France ranks 8th and India ranks 6th of 135 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Annual patent applications. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.