Australia vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by technology
Australia
1,746 patents
in 2023
South Korea
2,686 patents
in 2023
Australia rank
6th
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Australia
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 2,686 patents against 1,746 patents in Australia, a difference of 940 patents.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.5 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and South Korea ranks 4th of 65 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 399.1 patents | 87.1 patents | 312 patents | Australia |
| 1990s | 1,024 patents | 347.3 patents | 677.2 patents | Australia |
| 2000s | 1,398 patents | 1,022 patents | 376.1 patents | Australia |
| 2010s | 2,068 patents | 2,293 patents | 225 patents | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1,881 patents | 2,735 patents | 853.75 patents | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Australia or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 2,686 patents against 1,746 patents in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Australia and South Korea?
- 940 patents, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Australia and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Australia ranks 6th and South Korea ranks 4th 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.