China vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by filing office
China
61,617 patents
in 2023
South Korea
11,782 patents
in 2023
China rank
1st
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 61,617 patents against 11,782 patents in South Korea, a difference of 49,835 patents.
That makes China's figure about 5.2 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Korea ahead.
China ranks 1st and South Korea ranks 4th of 70 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 patents | 160.7 patents | 160.7 patents | South Korea |
| 1990s | 219.6 patents | 812.5 patents | 592.9 patents | South Korea |
| 2000s | 5,186 patents | 2,978 patents | 2,208 patents | China |
| 2010s | 22,762 patents | 7,612 patents | 15,150 patents | China |
| 2020s | 50,622 patents | 11,493 patents | 39,130 patents | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by filing office, China or South Korea?
- China, at 61,617 patents against 11,782 patents in South Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by filing office between China and South Korea?
- 49,835 patents, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do China and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- China ranks 1st 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.