Canada vs Iran: Annual patent applications per million people
Canada
123.17 applications per million people
in 2021
Iran
115.42 applications per million people
in 2021
Canada rank
23rd
Iran rank
26th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Canada
- Iran
How they compare
Canada currently reports 123.17 applications per million people against 115.42 applications per million people in Iran, a difference of 7.75 applications per million people.
That makes Canada's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 40 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Canada ahead.
Canada ranks 23rd and Iran ranks 26th of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 3 and Iran in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 87.08 applications per million people | 4.08 applications per million people | 83 applications per million people | Canada |
| 1990s | 102.25 applications per million people | 4.43 applications per million people | 97.82 applications per million people | Canada |
| 2000s | 146.35 applications per million people | 72.68 applications per million people | 73.67 applications per million people | Canada |
| 2010s | 123.37 applications per million people | 151.3 applications per million people | 27.93 applications per million people | Iran |
| 2020s | 120.12 applications per million people | 122.67 applications per million people | 2.55 applications per million people | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Canada or Iran?
- Canada, at 123.17 applications per million people against 115.42 applications per million people in Iran as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Canada and Iran?
- 7.75 applications per million people, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Iran?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Canada and Iran rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Canada ranks 23rd and Iran ranks 26th 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.