Spain vs Switzerland: Annual patent applications

Spain
1,308
in 2021
Switzerland
1,288
in 2021
Spain rank
27th
Switzerland rank
29th

Annual patent applications over time

  • Spain
  • Switzerland
1.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k198020002021

How they compare

Spain currently reports 1,308 against 1,288 in Switzerland, a difference of 20.

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

Spain ranks 27th and Switzerland ranks 29th of 135 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 3 and Switzerland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Spain Switzerland Difference Ahead
1980s 1,794 3,499 1,704 Switzerland
1990s 2,202 2,678 476 Switzerland
2000s 3,033 1,770 1,264 Spain
2010s 2,676 1,463 1,213 Spain
2020s 1,370 1,336 33.5 Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual patent applications, Spain or Switzerland?
Spain, at 1,308 against 1,288 in Switzerland as of 2021.
What is the difference in annual patent applications between Spain and Switzerland?
20, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and Switzerland?
42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do Spain and Switzerland rank globally for annual patent applications?
Spain ranks 27th and Switzerland ranks 29th 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