South Africa vs Spain: Annual patent applications per million people
South Africa
29.33 applications per million people
in 2021
Spain
27.57 applications per million people
in 2021
South Africa rank
46th
Spain rank
48th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 29.33 applications per million people against 27.57 applications per million people in Spain, a difference of 1.76 applications per million people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 46th and Spain ranks 48th of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 118.66 applications per million people | 46.83 applications per million people | 71.83 applications per million people | South Africa |
| 1990s | 16.61 applications per million people | 55.57 applications per million people | 38.96 applications per million people | Spain |
| 2000s | 18.67 applications per million people | 69.75 applications per million people | 51.08 applications per million people | Spain |
| 2010s | 12.68 applications per million people | 57.41 applications per million people | 44.73 applications per million people | Spain |
| 2020s | 19.14 applications per million people | 28.89 applications per million people | 9.75 applications per million people | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, South Africa or Spain?
- South Africa, at 29.33 applications per million people against 27.57 applications per million people in Spain as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between South Africa and Spain?
- 1.76 applications per million people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- South Africa ranks 46th and Spain ranks 48th 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.