India vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by filing office
India
3,576 patents
in 2023
South Korea
11,782 patents
in 2023
India rank
7th
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- India
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 11,782 patents against 3,576 patents in India, a difference of 8,206 patents.
That makes South Korea's figure about 3.3 times India's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, South Korea has been ahead every year.
India ranks 7th and South Korea ranks 4th of 70 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 patents | 160.7 patents | 160.7 patents | South Korea |
| 1990s | 0 patents | 812.5 patents | 812.5 patents | South Korea |
| 2000s | 296.6 patents | 2,978 patents | 2,681 patents | South Korea |
| 2010s | 1,115 patents | 7,612 patents | 6,497 patents | South Korea |
| 2020s | 2,590 patents | 11,493 patents | 8,903 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, India or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 11,782 patents against 3,576 patents in India as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by filing office between India and South Korea?
- 8,206 patents, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do India and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- India ranks 7th 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.