France vs Germany: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year

France
9,503
in 2017
Germany
18,882
in 2017
France rank
4th
Germany rank
3rd

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year over time

  • France
  • Germany
05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k197919982017

How they compare

Germany currently reports 18,882 against 9,503 in France, a difference of 9,379.

That makes Germany's figure about 2.0 times France's.

Across all 39 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.

France ranks 4th and Germany ranks 3rd of 47 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade France Germany Difference Ahead
1970s 2,094 4,986 2,892 Germany
1980s 3,611 8,994 5,383 Germany
1990s 5,525 14,486 8,961 Germany
2000s 8,132 23,051 14,918 Germany
2010s 9,134 21,321 12,187 Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications to the epo by priority year, France or Germany?
Germany, at 18,882 against 9,503 in France as of 2017.
What is the difference in patent applications to the epo by priority year between France and Germany?
9,379, with Germany ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?
39 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2017.
How do France and Germany rank globally for patent applications to the epo by priority year?
France ranks 4th and Germany ranks 3rd of 47 countries.
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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France vs Germany: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-to-the-epo-by-priority-year-1977-2017/france/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Patent applications to the EPO by priority year (1977-2017)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
54 places, 1,866 data points, 1978–2017
Last refreshed