Iceland vs New Zealand: Annual patent applications per million people
Iceland
91.27 applications per million people
in 2021
New Zealand
64.9 applications per million people
in 2021
Iceland rank
30th
New Zealand rank
33rd
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Iceland
- New Zealand
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 91.27 applications per million people against 64.9 applications per million people in New Zealand, a difference of 26.37 applications per million people.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.4 times New Zealand's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was New Zealand ahead.
Iceland ranks 30th and New Zealand ranks 33rd of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 1 and New Zealand in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 92.82 applications per million people | 304.18 applications per million people | 211.36 applications per million people | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 100.49 applications per million people | 329.32 applications per million people | 228.82 applications per million people | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 188.39 applications per million people | 423.44 applications per million people | 235.05 applications per million people | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 132.82 applications per million people | 272.38 applications per million people | 139.56 applications per million people | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 105.67 applications per million people | 66.75 applications per million people | 38.91 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, Iceland or New Zealand?
- Iceland, at 91.27 applications per million people against 64.9 applications per million people in New Zealand as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Iceland and New Zealand?
- 26.37 applications per million people, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and New Zealand?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Iceland and New Zealand rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Iceland ranks 30th and New Zealand ranks 33rd 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.