South Africa vs Sweden: Annual patent applications

South Africa
1,804
in 2021
Sweden
1,771
in 2021
South Africa rank
21st
Sweden rank
22nd

Annual patent applications over time

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

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1,804 against 1,771 in Sweden, a difference of 33.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Sweden ahead.

South Africa ranks 21st and Sweden ranks 22nd of 135 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Sweden Difference Ahead
1980s 4,123 3,781 341.7 South Africa
1990s 717.6 3,756 3,039 Sweden
2000s 918.8 2,953 2,034 Sweden
2010s 707 2,051 1,344 Sweden
2020s 1,173 1,768 594.5 Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual patent applications, South Africa or Sweden?
South Africa, at 1,804 against 1,771 in Sweden as of 2021.
What is the difference in annual patent applications between South Africa and Sweden?
33, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for annual patent applications?
South Africa ranks 21st and Sweden ranks 22nd 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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South Africa vs Sweden: Annual patent applications. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/annual-patent-applications/south-africa/sweden/

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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