Canada vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by technology
Canada
2,144 patents
in 2023
South Korea
2,686 patents
in 2023
Canada rank
5th
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Canada
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 2,686 patents against 2,144 patents in Canada, a difference of 542 patents.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.3 times Canada's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Canada ahead.
Canada ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 4th of 65 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 508.6 patents | 87.1 patents | 421.5 patents | Canada |
| 1990s | 443.3 patents | 347.3 patents | 96 patents | Canada |
| 2000s | 874.8 patents | 1,022 patents | 147.2 patents | South Korea |
| 2010s | 1,777 patents | 2,293 patents | 516.5 patents | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1,736 patents | 2,735 patents | 998.25 patents | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Canada or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 2,686 patents against 2,144 patents in Canada as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Canada and South Korea?
- 542 patents, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Canada and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Canada ranks 5th 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.