Australia vs Japan: Life science patents granted, by technology
Australia
1,746 patents
in 2023
Japan
4,732 patents
in 2023
Australia rank
6th
Japan rank
3rd
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Australia
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 4,732 patents against 1,746 patents in Australia, a difference of 2,986 patents.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.7 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Japan ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and Japan ranks 3rd of 65 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and Japan in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 399.1 patents | 706.5 patents | 307.4 patents | Japan |
| 1990s | 1,024 patents | 1,279 patents | 254.8 patents | Japan |
| 2000s | 1,398 patents | 1,267 patents | 130.9 patents | Australia |
| 2010s | 2,068 patents | 4,030 patents | 1,962 patents | Japan |
| 2020s | 1,881 patents | 4,192 patents | 2,311 patents | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Australia or Japan?
- Japan, at 4,732 patents against 1,746 patents in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Australia and Japan?
- 2,986 patents, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Japan?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Australia and Japan rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Australia ranks 6th and Japan ranks 3rd of 65 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Life science patents granted, by technology. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of pharmaceutical patents granted by the filing office in a given year. Pharmaceutical patents typically cover new drugs, biological treatments or vaccines.