Japan vs United States: Annual patent applications per million people
Japan
1,770 applications per million people
in 2021
United States
789.65 applications per million people
in 2021
Japan rank
2nd
United States rank
4th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
Japan currently reports 1,770 applications per million people against 789.65 applications per million people in United States, a difference of 980.35 applications per million people.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.2 times United States's.
Across all 40 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 2nd and United States ranks 4th of 135 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,221 applications per million people | 281.49 applications per million people | 1,940 applications per million people | Japan |
| 1990s | 2,719 applications per million people | 418.61 applications per million people | 2,300 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2000s | 2,777 applications per million people | 688.87 applications per million people | 2,088 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2010s | 2,106 applications per million people | 867.1 applications per million people | 1,239 applications per million people | Japan |
| 2020s | 1,785 applications per million people | 801.35 applications per million people | 983.94 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, Japan or United States?
- Japan, at 1,770 applications per million people against 789.65 applications per million people in United States as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Japan and United States?
- 980.35 applications per million people, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Japan ranks 2nd and United States ranks 4th 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.