China vs United States: Life science patents granted, by technology
China
14,477 patents
in 2023
United States
6,365 patents
in 2023
China rank
1st
United States rank
2nd
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 14,477 patents against 6,365 patents in United States, a difference of 8,112 patents.
That makes China's figure about 2.3 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1993 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 65 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and United States in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 167.29 patents | 2,834 patents | 2,667 patents | United States |
| 2000s | 2,981 patents | 3,755 patents | 773.9 patents | United States |
| 2010s | 8,816 patents | 6,571 patents | 2,244 patents | China |
| 2020s | 12,366 patents | 7,242 patents | 5,124 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 United States?
- China, at 14,477 patents against 6,365 patents in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between China and United States?
- 8,112 patents, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- China ranks 1st 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.