China vs Japan: Life science patents granted by technology

China
14,477
in 2023
Japan
4,732
in 2023
China rank
1st
Japan rank
3rd

Life science patents granted by technology over time

  • China
  • Japan
05.0k10.0k15.0k198020012023

How they compare

China currently reports 14,477 against 4,732 in Japan, a difference of 9,745.

That makes China's figure about 3.1 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1993 it was Japan ahead.

China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 64 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Japan in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Japan Difference Ahead
1990s 167.29 1,410 1,243 Japan
2000s 2,981 1,267 1,714 China
2010s 8,816 4,030 4,786 China
2020s 12,366 4,192 8,173 China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher life science patents granted by technology, China or Japan?
China, at 14,477 against 4,732 in Japan as of 2023.
What is the difference in life science patents granted by technology between China and Japan?
9,745, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
31 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2023.
How do China and Japan rank globally for life science patents granted by technology?
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 64 countries.
Where does this data come from?
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

Indicator
Life science patents granted by technology
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
65 places, 2,044 data points, 1980–2023
Last refreshed