European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) vs Japan: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year

European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
49,212 Number
in 2017
Japan
21,380 Number
in 2014
European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) rank
3rd
Japan rank
3rd

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year over time

  • European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
  • Japan
020.0k40.0k60.0k197919982017

How they compare

European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) currently reports 49,212 Number against 21,380 Number in Japan, a difference of 27,832 Number.

That makes European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)'s figure about 2.3 times Japan's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) has been ahead every year.

European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 3rd of 6 regions.

European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) Japan Difference Ahead
1970s 9,187 Number 1,602 Number 7,585 Number European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
1980s 17,649 Number 7,029 Number 10,620 Number European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
1990s 29,925 Number 13,579 Number 16,346 Number European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
2000s 49,460 Number 21,383 Number 28,077 Number European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)
2010s 51,515 Number 21,540 Number 29,976 Number European Union - 27 countries (from 2020)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications to the epo by priority year, European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) or Japan?
European Union - 27 countries (from 2020), at 49,212 Number against 21,380 Number in Japan as of 2017.
What is the difference in patent applications to the epo by priority year between European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) and Japan?
27,832 Number, with European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) and Japan?
36 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2014.
How do European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) and Japan rank globally for patent applications to the epo by priority year?
European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 3rd of 6 regions.
Where does this data come from?
Eurostat, published as Patent applications to the EPO by priority year (1977-2017). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) vs Japan: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-to-the-epo-by-priority-year-1977-2017/european-union-27-countries-from-2020/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Patent applications to the EPO by priority year (1977-2017)
Unit
Number
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
66 places, 2,224 data points, 1978–2017
Last refreshed