Canada vs Japan: Life science patents granted, by technology
Canada
2,144 patents
in 2023
Japan
4,732 patents
in 2023
Canada rank
5th
Japan rank
3rd
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Canada
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 4,732 patents against 2,144 patents in Canada, a difference of 2,588 patents.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.2 times Canada's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Canada ahead.
Canada ranks 5th and Japan ranks 3rd of 65 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 508.6 patents | 706.5 patents | 197.9 patents | Japan |
| 1990s | 443.3 patents | 1,279 patents | 836 patents | Japan |
| 2000s | 874.8 patents | 1,267 patents | 392.4 patents | Japan |
| 2010s | 1,777 patents | 4,030 patents | 2,253 patents | Japan |
| 2020s | 1,736 patents | 4,192 patents | 2,456 patents | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Canada or Japan?
- Japan, at 4,732 patents against 2,144 patents in Canada as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Canada and Japan?
- 2,588 patents, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Japan?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Canada and Japan rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Canada ranks 5th 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.