Canada vs United States: Life science patents granted, by technology
Canada
2,144 patents
in 2023
United States
6,365 patents
in 2023
Canada rank
5th
United States rank
2nd
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Canada
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 6,365 patents against 2,144 patents in Canada, a difference of 4,221 patents.
That makes United States's figure about 3.0 times Canada's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd of 65 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 508.6 patents | 1,148 patents | 639.6 patents | United States |
| 1990s | 443.3 patents | 2,539 patents | 2,096 patents | United States |
| 2000s | 874.8 patents | 3,755 patents | 2,880 patents | United States |
| 2010s | 1,777 patents | 6,571 patents | 4,794 patents | United States |
| 2020s | 1,736 patents | 7,242 patents | 5,505 patents | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Canada or United States?
- United States, at 6,365 patents against 2,144 patents in Canada as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Canada and United States?
- 4,221 patents, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and United States?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Canada and United States rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Canada ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd 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.