Netherlands vs South Africa: Annual patent applications

Netherlands
2,080
in 2021
South Africa
1,804
in 2021
Netherlands rank
18th
South Africa rank
21st

Annual patent applications over time

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

How they compare

Netherlands currently reports 2,080 against 1,804 in South Africa, a difference of 276.

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

The two have swapped places 1 time across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.

Netherlands ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 135 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Netherlands South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 1,946 4,123 2,177 South Africa
1990s 2,084 717.6 1,367 Netherlands
2000s 2,263 918.8 1,344 Netherlands
2010s 2,317 707 1,610 Netherlands
2020s 2,139 1,173 966 Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual patent applications, Netherlands or South Africa?
Netherlands, at 2,080 against 1,804 in South Africa as of 2021.
What is the difference in annual patent applications between Netherlands and South Africa?
276, with Netherlands ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and South Africa?
42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do Netherlands and South Africa rank globally for annual patent applications?
Netherlands ranks 18th 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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Netherlands vs South Africa: Annual patent applications. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/annual-patent-applications/netherlands/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