Australia vs USSR: Life science patents granted, by technology
Australia
1,746 patents
in 2023
USSR
441 patents
in 1991
Australia rank
6th
USSR rank
9th
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Australia
- USSR
How they compare
Australia currently reports 1,746 patents against 441 patents in USSR, a difference of 1,305 patents.
That makes Australia's figure about 4.0 times USSR's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 12 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and USSR ranks 9th of 65 countries.
Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 399.1 patents | 315.7 patents | 83.4 patents | Australia |
| 1990s | 946 patents | 378.5 patents | 567.5 patents | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Australia or USSR?
- Australia, at 1,746 patents against 441 patents in USSR as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Australia and USSR?
- 1,305 patents, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and USSR?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1991.
- How do Australia and USSR rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Australia ranks 6th and USSR ranks 9th of 65 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – 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.