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

France
9,503
in 2017
Japan
21,380
in 2014
France rank
4th
Japan rank
2nd

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year over time

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

How they compare

Japan currently reports 21,380 against 9,503 in France, a difference of 11,877.

That makes Japan's figure about 2.2 times France's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1979 it was France ahead.

France ranks 4th and Japan ranks 2nd of 47 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, France averaged higher in 1 and Japan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Japan Difference Ahead
1970s 2,094 1,602 491.94 France
1980s 3,611 7,029 3,419 Japan
1990s 5,525 13,579 8,054 Japan
2000s 8,132 21,383 13,251 Japan
2010s 8,883 21,540 12,657 Japan

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 Japan?
Japan, at 21,380 against 9,503 in France as of 2014.
What is the difference in patent applications to the epo by priority year between France and Japan?
11,877, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Japan?
36 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2014.
How do France and Japan rank globally for patent applications to the epo by priority year?
France ranks 4th and Japan ranks 2nd 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 Japan: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-to-the-epo-by-priority-year-1977-2017/france/japan/

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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