Canada vs Japan: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Canada
5,904 patents
in 2023
Japan
19,518 patents
in 2023
Canada rank
5th
Japan rank
3rd
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Canada
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 19,518 patents against 5,904 patents in Canada, a difference of 13,614 patents.
That makes Japan's figure about 3.3 times Canada's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 5th 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 | Canada | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,278 patents | 2,061 patents | 783.2 patents | Japan |
| 1990s | 1,221 patents | 4,389 patents | 3,168 patents | Japan |
| 2000s | 2,306 patents | 5,883 patents | 3,576 patents | Japan |
| 2010s | 4,565 patents | 16,105 patents | 11,540 patents | Japan |
| 2020s | 4,778 patents | 17,609 patents | 12,830 patents | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by filing office, Canada or Japan?
- Japan, at 19,518 patents against 5,904 patents in Canada as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by filing office between Canada and Japan?
- 13,614 patents, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Japan?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Canada and Japan rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Canada ranks 5th 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.