Japan vs South Korea: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Japan
19,518 patents
in 2023
South Korea
11,782 patents
in 2023
Japan rank
3rd
South Korea rank
4th
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 19,518 patents against 11,782 patents in South Korea, a difference of 7,736 patents.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.7 times South Korea's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 3rd and South Korea ranks 4th of 70 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,061 patents | 160.7 patents | 1,900 patents | Japan |
| 1990s | 4,389 patents | 812.5 patents | 3,576 patents | Japan |
| 2000s | 5,883 patents | 2,978 patents | 2,905 patents | Japan |
| 2010s | 16,105 patents | 7,612 patents | 8,493 patents | Japan |
| 2020s | 17,609 patents | 11,493 patents | 6,116 patents | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life science patents granted, by filing office, Japan or South Korea?
- Japan, at 19,518 patents against 11,782 patents in South Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by filing office between Japan and South Korea?
- 7,736 patents, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Japan ranks 3rd 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.