Norway vs United Kingdom: Annual patent applications per million people
Norway
174.92 applications per million people
in 2021
United Kingdom
173.07 applications per million people
in 2021
Norway rank
15th
United Kingdom rank
17th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Norway
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Norway currently reports 174.92 applications per million people against 173.07 applications per million people in United Kingdom, a difference of 1.85 applications per million people.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Norway ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 17th of 135 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 205.48 applications per million people | 353.27 applications per million people | 147.8 applications per million people | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 254.65 applications per million people | 328.04 applications per million people | 73.39 applications per million people | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 254.67 applications per million people | 313.62 applications per million people | 58.96 applications per million people | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 214.56 applications per million people | 221.58 applications per million people | 7.02 applications per million people | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 169.25 applications per million people | 176.36 applications per million people | 7.11 applications per million people | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Norway or United Kingdom?
- Norway, at 174.92 applications per million people against 173.07 applications per million people in United Kingdom as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Norway and United Kingdom?
- 1.85 applications per million people, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and United Kingdom?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Norway and United Kingdom rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Norway ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 17th 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.