Canada vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Canada
5,904 patents
in 2023
South Korea
11,782 patents
in 2023
Canada rank
5th
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Canada
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 11,782 patents against 5,904 patents in Canada, a difference of 5,878 patents.
That makes South Korea's figure about 2.0 times Canada's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Canada ahead.
Canada ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 4th of 70 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,278 patents | 160.7 patents | 1,117 patents | Canada |
| 1990s | 1,221 patents | 812.5 patents | 408.2 patents | Canada |
| 2000s | 2,306 patents | 2,978 patents | 671.5 patents | South Korea |
| 2010s | 4,565 patents | 7,612 patents | 3,047 patents | South Korea |
| 2020s | 4,778 patents | 11,493 patents | 6,714 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, Canada or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 11,782 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 South Korea?
- 5,878 patents, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Canada and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Canada ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 4th of 70 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 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.