China vs South Korea: Patent applications, nonresidents
Patent applications, nonresidents over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 159,019 against 51,753 in South Korea, a difference of 107,266.
That makes China's figure about 3.1 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Korea ahead.
China ranks 2nd and South Korea ranks 4th of 150 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 | 4,575 | 11,967 | 7,392 | South Korea |
| 1990s | 12,812 | 19,477 | 6,665 | South Korea |
| 2000s | 65,444 | 35,578 | 29,865 | China |
| 2010s | 128,170 | 44,311 | 83,858 | China |
| 2020s | 155,680 | 49,018 | 106,663 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher patent applications, nonresidents, China or South Korea?
- China, at 159,019 against 51,753 in South Korea as of 2021.
- What is the difference in patent applications, nonresidents between China and South Korea?
- 107,266, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2021.
- How do China and South Korea rank globally for patent applications, nonresidents?
- China ranks 2nd and South Korea ranks 4th of 150 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans, published as Patent applications, nonresidents. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Patent applications are worldwide patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.