Sweden vs Switzerland: Annual patent applications per million people
Sweden
170.03 applications per million people
in 2021
Switzerland
147.97 applications per million people
in 2021
Sweden rank
18th
Switzerland rank
20th
Annual patent applications per million people over time
- Sweden
- Switzerland
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 170.03 applications per million people against 147.97 applications per million people in Switzerland, a difference of 22.06 applications per million people.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Switzerland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Switzerland ahead.
Sweden ranks 18th and Switzerland ranks 20th of 135 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Sweden averaged higher in 4 and Switzerland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 452.21 applications per million people | 541.61 applications per million people | 89.4 applications per million people | Switzerland |
| 1990s | 428.5 applications per million people | 384.79 applications per million people | 43.71 applications per million people | Sweden |
| 2000s | 327.56 applications per million people | 238.65 applications per million people | 88.91 applications per million people | Sweden |
| 2010s | 210.09 applications per million people | 178.49 applications per million people | 31.6 applications per million people | Sweden |
| 2020s | 170.2 applications per million people | 154.09 applications per million people | 16.11 applications per million people | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patent applications per million people, Sweden or Switzerland?
- Sweden, at 170.03 applications per million people against 147.97 applications per million people in Switzerland as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patent applications per million people between Sweden and Switzerland?
- 22.06 applications per million people, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and Switzerland?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Sweden and Switzerland rank globally for annual patent applications per million people?
- Sweden ranks 18th and Switzerland ranks 20th 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.