India vs United Kingdom: Annual patent applications

India
26,267
in 2021
United Kingdom
11,592
in 2021
India rank
6th
United Kingdom rank
9th

Annual patent applications over time

  • India
  • United Kingdom
010.0k20.0k30.0k198020002021

How they compare

India currently reports 26,267 against 11,592 in United Kingdom, a difference of 14,675.

That makes India's figure about 2.3 times United Kingdom's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 41 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United Kingdom ahead.

India ranks 6th and United Kingdom ranks 9th of 135 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, India averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade India United Kingdom Difference Ahead
1980s 1,051 19,996 18,946 United Kingdom
1990s 1,604 19,011 17,407 United Kingdom
2000s 4,511 18,890 14,379 United Kingdom
2010s 12,644 14,334 1,690 United Kingdom
2020s 24,704 11,791 12,913 India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual patent applications, India or United Kingdom?
India, at 26,267 against 11,592 in United Kingdom as of 2021.
What is the difference in annual patent applications between India and United Kingdom?
14,675, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for India and United Kingdom?
41 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do India and United Kingdom rank globally for annual patent applications?
India ranks 6th and United Kingdom ranks 9th 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.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Annual patent applications
Source
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
135 places, 3,804 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed