China vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by technology
China
14,477 patents
in 2023
South Korea
2,686 patents
in 2023
China rank
1st
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 14,477 patents against 2,686 patents in South Korea, a difference of 11,791 patents.
That makes China's figure about 5.4 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1993 it was South Korea ahead.
China ranks 1st and South Korea ranks 4th of 65 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 167.29 patents | 402.86 patents | 235.57 patents | South Korea |
| 2000s | 2,981 patents | 1,022 patents | 1,959 patents | China |
| 2010s | 8,816 patents | 2,293 patents | 6,522 patents | China |
| 2020s | 12,366 patents | 2,735 patents | 9,631 patents | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, China or South Korea?
- China, at 14,477 patents against 2,686 patents in South Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between China and South Korea?
- 11,791 patents, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2023.
- How do China and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- China ranks 1st 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.