Japan vs United States: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Japan
19,518 patents
in 2023
United States
31,977 patents
in 2023
Japan rank
3rd
United States rank
2nd
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 31,977 patents against 19,518 patents in Japan, a difference of 12,459 patents.
That makes United States's figure about 1.6 times Japan's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 3rd 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 | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,061 patents | 4,420 patents | 2,359 patents | United States |
| 1990s | 4,389 patents | 10,556 patents | 6,167 patents | United States |
| 2000s | 5,883 patents | 14,395 patents | 8,512 patents | United States |
| 2010s | 16,105 patents | 27,626 patents | 11,521 patents | United States |
| 2020s | 17,609 patents | 34,010 patents | 16,401 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, Japan or United States?
- United States, at 31,977 patents against 19,518 patents in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in life science patents granted, by filing office between Japan and United States?
- 12,459 patents, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Japan ranks 3rd 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.