Australia vs Netherlands: Annual patent applications per million people
Australia
115.47 applications per million people
in 2021
Netherlands
118.63 applications per million people
in 2021
Australia rank
25th
Netherlands rank
24th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Australia
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 118.63 applications per million people against 115.47 applications per million people in Australia, a difference of 3.16 applications per million people.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Netherlands ahead.
Australia ranks 25th and Netherlands ranks 24th of 135 countries.
Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 50.53 applications per million people | 134.29 applications per million people | 83.76 applications per million people | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 97.84 applications per million people | 135.12 applications per million people | 37.28 applications per million people | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 123.06 applications per million people | 139.14 applications per million people | 16.08 applications per million people | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 106.94 applications per million people | 136.9 applications per million people | 29.96 applications per million people | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 103.9 applications per million people | 122.33 applications per million people | 18.43 applications per million people | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Australia or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 118.63 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 Netherlands?
- 3.16 applications per million people, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Netherlands?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Australia and Netherlands rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Australia ranks 25th and Netherlands ranks 24th 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) – 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.