Canada vs United States: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Canada
5,904 patents
in 2023
United States
31,977 patents
in 2023
Canada rank
5th
United States rank
2nd
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Canada
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 31,977 patents against 5,904 patents in Canada, a difference of 26,073 patents.
That makes United States's figure about 5.4 times Canada's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Canada ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd of 70 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,278 patents | 4,420 patents | 3,142 patents | United States |
| 1990s | 1,221 patents | 10,556 patents | 9,335 patents | United States |
| 2000s | 2,306 patents | 14,395 patents | 12,089 patents | United States |
| 2010s | 4,565 patents | 27,626 patents | 23,061 patents | United States |
| 2020s | 4,778 patents | 34,010 patents | 29,232 patents | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by filing office, Canada or United States?
- United States, at 31,977 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 United States?
- 26,073 patents, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and United States?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Canada and United States rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Canada ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd 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.