China vs Japan: Annual patent applications per million people
China
1,010 applications per million people
in 2021
Japan
1,770 applications per million people
in 2021
China rank
3rd
Japan rank
2nd
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 1,770 applications per million people against 1,010 applications per million people in China, a difference of 760 applications per million people.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.8 times China's.
Across all 37 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 2nd of 135 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.88 applications per million people | 2,462 applications per million people | 2,458 applications per million people | Japan |
| 1990s | 9.15 applications per million people | 2,719 applications per million people | 2,709 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2000s | 76.97 applications per million people | 2,777 applications per million people | 2,700 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2010s | 636.38 applications per million people | 2,106 applications per million people | 1,469 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2020s | 981.57 applications per million people | 1,785 applications per million people | 803.72 applications per million people | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, China or Japan?
- Japan, at 1,770 applications per million people against 1,010 applications per million people in China as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between China and Japan?
- 760 applications per million people, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2021.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- China ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 2nd 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.