Australia vs Canada: Annual patent applications per million people
Australia
115.47 applications per million people
in 2021
Canada
123.17 applications per million people
in 2021
Australia rank
25th
Canada rank
23rd
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Australia
- Canada
How they compare
Canada currently reports 123.17 applications per million people against 115.47 applications per million people in Australia, a difference of 7.7 applications per million people.
That makes Canada's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Canada ahead.
Australia ranks 25th and Canada ranks 23rd of 135 countries.
Canada has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Canada | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 50.53 applications per million people | 86.66 applications per million people | 36.13 applications per million people | Canada |
| 1990s | 97.84 applications per million people | 102.25 applications per million people | 4.41 applications per million people | Canada |
| 2000s | 123.06 applications per million people | 146.35 applications per million people | 23.29 applications per million people | Canada |
| 2010s | 106.94 applications per million people | 123.01 applications per million people | 16.07 applications per million people | Canada |
| 2020s | 103.9 applications per million people | 120.12 applications per million people | 16.22 applications per million people | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Australia or Canada?
- Canada, at 123.17 applications per million people against 115.47 applications per million people in Australia as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Australia and Canada?
- 7.7 applications per million people, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Canada?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Australia and Canada rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Australia ranks 25th and Canada ranks 23rd of 135 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) β processed by Our World i, published as Annual patent applications per million people. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.