North Korea vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Patent applications, residents

North Korea
6,937
in 2020
Sub-Saharan Africa
1,834
in 2020
North Korea rank
13th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
11th

Patent applications, residents over time

  • North Korea
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k198020002020

How they compare

North Korea currently reports 6,937 against 1,834 in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 5,103.

That makes North Korea's figure about 3.8 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 11 years both countries report, North Korea has been ahead every year.

North Korea ranks 13th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 11th of 135 countries.

North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade North Korea Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 6,753 1,075 5,678 North Korea
2010s 7,941 1,427 6,514 North Korea
2020s 6,937 1,834 5,103 North Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications, residents, North Korea or Sub-Saharan Africa?
North Korea, at 6,937 against 1,834 in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020.
What is the difference in patent applications, residents between North Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa?
5,103, with North Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa?
11 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2020.
How do North Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for patent applications, residents?
North Korea ranks 13th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 11th 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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North Korea 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 01 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-residents/korea-dem-people-s-rep/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.