Australia vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Australia
4,775 patents
in 2023
South Korea
11,782 patents
in 2023
Australia rank
6th
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Australia
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 11,782 patents against 4,775 patents in Australia, a difference of 7,007 patents.
That makes South Korea's figure about 2.5 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and South Korea ranks 4th of 70 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 790.5 patents | 160.7 patents | 629.8 patents | Australia |
| 1990s | 2,323 patents | 812.5 patents | 1,510 patents | Australia |
| 2000s | 3,274 patents | 2,978 patents | 295.7 patents | Australia |
| 2010s | 5,541 patents | 7,612 patents | 2,071 patents | South Korea |
| 2020s | 5,196 patents | 11,493 patents | 6,297 patents | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by filing office, Australia or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 11,782 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 South Korea?
- 7,007 patents, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Australia and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Australia ranks 6th and South Korea ranks 4th 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.