Bulgaria vs Spain: Annual patent applications per million people
Bulgaria
25.36 applications per million people
in 2021
Spain
27.57 applications per million people
in 2021
Bulgaria rank
51st
Spain rank
48th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Bulgaria
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 27.57 applications per million people against 25.36 applications per million people in Bulgaria, a difference of 2.21 applications per million people.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times Bulgaria's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Bulgaria ahead.
Bulgaria ranks 51st and Spain ranks 48th of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Bulgaria averaged higher in 2 and Spain in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bulgaria | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 205.56 applications per million people | 46.83 applications per million people | 158.73 applications per million people | Bulgaria |
| 1990s | 39.3 applications per million people | 55.57 applications per million people | 16.26 applications per million people | Spain |
| 2000s | 33.01 applications per million people | 69.75 applications per million people | 36.74 applications per million people | Spain |
| 2010s | 33.03 applications per million people | 57.41 applications per million people | 24.38 applications per million people | Spain |
| 2020s | 30.92 applications per million people | 28.89 applications per million people | 2.03 applications per million people | Bulgaria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Bulgaria or Spain?
- Spain, at 27.57 applications per million people against 25.36 applications per million people in Bulgaria as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Bulgaria and Spain?
- 2.21 applications per million people, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bulgaria and Spain?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Bulgaria and Spain rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Bulgaria ranks 51st and Spain ranks 48th 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.