Germany vs United States: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year

Germany
18,882 Number
in 2017
United States
36,903 Number
in 2014
Germany rank
4th
United States rank
1st

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year over time

  • Germany
  • United States
010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k197819972017

How they compare

United States currently reports 36,903 Number against 18,882 Number in Germany, a difference of 18,021 Number.

That makes United States's figure about 2.0 times Germany's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.

Germany ranks 4th and United States ranks 1st of 60 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany United States Difference Ahead
1970s 4,986 Number 5,005 Number 19.41 Number United States
1980s 8,994 Number 11,281 Number 2,288 Number United States
1990s 14,486 Number 22,144 Number 7,658 Number United States
2000s 23,051 Number 33,445 Number 10,395 Number United States
2010s 22,104 Number 33,840 Number 11,736 Number United States

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patent applications to the epo by priority year, Germany or United States?
United States, at 36,903 Number against 18,882 Number in Germany as of 2014.
What is the difference in patent applications to the epo by priority year between Germany and United States?
18,021 Number, with United States ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United States?
36 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2014.
How do Germany and United States rank globally for patent applications to the epo by priority year?
Germany ranks 4th and United States ranks 1st of 60 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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Germany vs United States: Patent applications to the EPO by priority year. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patent-applications-to-the-epo-by-priority-year-1977-2017/germany/united-states-2/

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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