Japan vs United States: Life science patents granted, by technology
Japan
4,732 patents
in 2023
United States
6,365 patents
in 2023
Japan rank
3rd
United States rank
2nd
Life science patents granted, by technology over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 6,365 patents against 4,732 patents in Japan, a difference of 1,633 patents.
That makes United States's figure about 1.3 times Japan's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 3rd 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 | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 706.5 patents | 1,148 patents | 441.7 patents | United States |
| 1990s | 1,279 patents | 2,539 patents | 1,260 patents | United States |
| 2000s | 1,267 patents | 3,755 patents | 2,488 patents | United States |
| 2010s | 4,030 patents | 6,571 patents | 2,541 patents | United States |
| 2020s | 4,192 patents | 7,242 patents | 3,049 patents | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by technology, Japan or United States?
- United States, at 6,365 patents against 4,732 patents in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by technology between Japan and United States?
- 1,633 patents, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Japan ranks 3rd 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.