Finland vs South Africa: Patent applications, residents

Finland
1,557
in 2021
South Africa
1,804
in 2021
Finland rank
24th
South Africa rank
21st

Patent applications, residents over time

  • Finland
  • South Africa
01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k198020002021

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1,804 against 1,557 in Finland, a difference of 247.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Finland's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.

Finland ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 21st of 135 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Finland South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 1,718 4,123 2,405 South Africa
1990s 2,228 717.6 1,510 Finland
2000s 2,017 918.8 1,098 Finland
2010s 1,474 707 767.1 Finland
2020s 1,572 1,173 399.5 Finland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications, residents, Finland or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1,804 against 1,557 in Finland as of 2021.
What is the difference in patent applications, residents between Finland and South Africa?
247, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and South Africa?
42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
How do Finland and South Africa rank globally for patent applications, residents?
Finland ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 21st 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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Finland vs South Africa: 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 22 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-residents/finland/south-africa/

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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.