Germany vs India: Annual patent applications
Germany
39,822
in 2021
India
26,267
in 2021
Germany rank
5th
India rank
6th
Annual patent applications over time
- Germany
- India
How they compare
Germany currently reports 39,822 against 26,267 in India, a difference of 13,555.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.5 times India's.
Across all 41 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.
Germany ranks 5th and India ranks 6th of 135 countries.
Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31,136 | 1,051 | 30,086 | Germany |
| 1990s | 38,978 | 1,604 | 37,374 | Germany |
| 2000s | 48,692 | 4,511 | 44,181 | Germany |
| 2010s | 47,306 | 12,644 | 34,662 | Germany |
| 2020s | 41,041 | 24,704 | 16,337 | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications, Germany or India?
- Germany, at 39,822 against 26,267 in India as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications between Germany and India?
- 13,555, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and India?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Germany and India rank globally for annual patent applications?
- Germany ranks 5th 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.