Belgium vs Iceland: Annual patent applications per million people
Belgium
68.96 applications per million people
in 2021
Iceland
91.27 applications per million people
in 2021
Belgium rank
31st
Iceland rank
30th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Belgium
- Iceland
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 91.27 applications per million people against 68.96 applications per million people in Belgium, a difference of 22.31 applications per million people.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.3 times Belgium's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 31st and Iceland ranks 30th of 135 countries.
Iceland has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Iceland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 77.91 applications per million people | 92.82 applications per million people | 14.92 applications per million people | Iceland |
| 1990s | 69.98 applications per million people | 100.49 applications per million people | 30.52 applications per million people | Iceland |
| 2000s | 52.35 applications per million people | 188.39 applications per million people | 136.04 applications per million people | Iceland |
| 2010s | 74.54 applications per million people | 132.82 applications per million people | 58.29 applications per million people | Iceland |
| 2020s | 71.83 applications per million people | 105.67 applications per million people | 33.84 applications per million people | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Belgium or Iceland?
- Iceland, at 91.27 applications per million people against 68.96 applications per million people in Belgium as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Belgium and Iceland?
- 22.31 applications per million people, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Iceland?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Belgium and Iceland rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Belgium ranks 31st and Iceland ranks 30th 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.