China vs East Asia & Pacific: Patent applications, residents

China
1.43 million
in 2021
East Asia & Pacific
1.77 million
in 2020
China rank
1st
East Asia & Pacific rank
2nd

Patent applications, residents over time

  • China
  • East Asia & Pacific
0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M198020002021

How they compare

East Asia & Pacific currently reports 1.77 million against 1.43 million in China, a difference of 342,590.

That makes East Asia & Pacific's figure about 1.2 times China's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, East Asia & Pacific has been ahead every year.

China ranks 1st and East Asia & Pacific ranks 2nd of 135 countries.

East Asia & Pacific has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China East Asia & Pacific Difference Ahead
1980s 4,213 310,580 306,368 East Asia & Pacific
1990s 11,019 393,466 382,448 East Asia & Pacific
2000s 101,028 570,098 469,070 East Asia & Pacific
2010s 880,661 1.32 million 439,069 East Asia & Pacific
2020s 1.34 million 1.77 million 424,410 East Asia & Pacific

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications, residents, China or East Asia & Pacific?
East Asia & Pacific, at 1.77 million against 1.43 million in China as of 2020.
What is the difference in patent applications, residents between China and East Asia & Pacific?
342,590, with East Asia & Pacific ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and East Asia & Pacific?
36 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do China and East Asia & Pacific rank globally for patent applications, residents?
China ranks 1st and East Asia & Pacific ranks 2nd of 135 countries.
Where does this data come from?
WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans, published as Patent applications, residents. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs East Asia & Pacific: Patent applications, residents. Statizoid, drawing on WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-residents/china/east-asia-and-pacific/

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About this data

Indicator
Patent applications, residents
Source
WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
147 places, 4,224 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed

Patent applications are worldwide patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.