Japan vs United States of America: Life science patents granted, by filing office
Life science patents granted, by filing office over time
- Japan
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 31,977 patents against 19,518 patents in Japan, a difference of 12,459 patents.
That makes United States of America's figure about 1.6 times Japan's.
Across all 44 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 3rd and United States of America ranks 2nd of 70 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,061 patents | 4,420 patents | 2,359 patents | United States of America |
| 1990s | 4,389 patents | 10,556 patents | 6,167 patents | United States of America |
| 2000s | 5,883 patents | 14,395 patents | 8,512 patents | United States of America |
| 2010s | 16,105 patents | 27,626 patents | 11,521 patents | United States of America |
| 2020s | 17,609 patents | 34,010 patents | 16,401 patents | United States of America |
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 of America?
- United States of America, 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 of America?
- 12,459 patents, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States of America?
- 44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
- How do Japan and United States of America rank globally for life science patents granted, by filing office?
- Japan ranks 3rd and United States of America ranks 2nd 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.