Japan vs South Korea: Annual patent applications per million people
Japan
1,770 applications per million people
in 2021
South Korea
3,598 applications per million people
in 2021
Japan rank
2nd
South Korea rank
1st
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 3,598 applications per million people against 1,770 applications per million people in Japan, a difference of 1,828 applications per million people.
That makes South Korea's figure about 2.0 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 40 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 2nd and South Korea ranks 1st of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,221 applications per million people | 86.81 applications per million people | 2,134 applications per million people | Japan |
| 1990s | 2,719 applications per million people | 858.31 applications per million people | 1,860 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2000s | 2,777 applications per million people | 2,173 applications per million people | 603.61 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2010s | 2,106 applications per million people | 3,081 applications per million people | 975.71 applications per million people | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1,785 applications per million people | 3,540 applications per million people | 1,754 applications per million people | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 3,598 applications per million people against 1,770 applications per million people in Japan as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Japan and South Korea?
- 1,828 applications per million people, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Japan ranks 2nd and South Korea ranks 1st 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.