Germany vs North Korea: Annual patent applications per million people
Germany
478.65 applications per million people
in 2021
North Korea
265.42 applications per million people
in 2020
Germany rank
5th
North Korea rank
8th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Germany
- North Korea
How they compare
Germany currently reports 478.65 applications per million people against 265.42 applications per million people in North Korea, a difference of 213.23 applications per million people.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.8 times North Korea's.
Across all 11 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.
Germany ranks 5th and North Korea ranks 8th of 135 countries.
Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 583.84 applications per million people | 274.18 applications per million people | 309.65 applications per million people | Germany |
| 2010s | 573.65 applications per million people | 311.45 applications per million people | 262.2 applications per million people | Germany |
| 2020s | 508.17 applications per million people | 265.42 applications per million people | 242.76 applications per million people | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Germany or North Korea?
- Germany, at 478.65 applications per million people against 265.42 applications per million people in North Korea as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Germany and North Korea?
- 213.23 applications per million people, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and North Korea?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2020.
- How do Germany and North Korea rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Germany ranks 5th and North Korea ranks 8th 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.