France vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Patent applications, residents

France
13,386
in 2021
Sub-Saharan Africa
1,834
in 2020
France rank
8th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
1st

Patent applications, residents over time

  • France
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
05.0k10.0k15.0k198020002021

How they compare

France currently reports 13,386 against 1,834 in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 11,552.

That makes France's figure about 7.3 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 41 years both countries report, France has been ahead every year.

France ranks 8th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 1st of 135 countries.

France has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 11,704 4,185 7,518 France
1990s 12,810 814 11,996 France
2000s 14,096 1,075 13,021 France
2010s 14,447 1,392 13,055 France
2020s 12,771 1,834 10,937 France

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications, residents, France or Sub-Saharan Africa?
France, at 13,386 against 1,834 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2021.
What is the difference in patent applications, residents between France and Sub-Saharan Africa?
11,552, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Sub-Saharan Africa?
41 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2020.
How do France and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for patent applications, residents?
France ranks 8th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 1st 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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France vs Sub-Saharan 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 20 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-residents/france/sub-saharan-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.