Australia vs Japan: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Australia
4,775 patents
in 2023
Japan
19,518 patents
in 2023
Australia rank
6th
Japan rank
3rd
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Australia
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 19,518 patents against 4,775 patents in Australia, a difference of 14,743 patents.
That makes Japan's figure about 4.1 times Australia's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 6th and Japan ranks 3rd of 70 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 790.5 patents | 2,061 patents | 1,271 patents | Japan |
| 1990s | 2,323 patents | 4,389 patents | 2,066 patents | Japan |
| 2000s | 3,274 patents | 5,883 patents | 2,609 patents | Japan |
| 2010s | 5,541 patents | 16,105 patents | 10,564 patents | Japan |
| 2020s | 5,196 patents | 17,609 patents | 12,413 patents | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by filing office, Australia or Japan?
- Japan, at 19,518 patents against 4,775 patents in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by filing office between Australia and Japan?
- 14,743 patents, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Japan?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Australia and Japan rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Australia ranks 6th and Japan ranks 3rd of 70 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Life science patents granted, by filing office. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Patents granted within the fields of medical technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals by filing office. These patents cover a wide range of innovations, such as medical devices, diagnostic methods, genetic engineering techniques, biotechnological processes and new drugs.