China vs Korea: Patents by WIPO technology domains — Patent applications

China
13,210 Patents
in 2023
Korea
10,699 Patents
in 2023
China rank
4th
Korea rank
2nd

Patents by WIPO technology domains — Patent applications over time

  • China
  • Korea
05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k197820002023

How they compare

China currently reports 13,210 Patents against 10,699 Patents in Korea, a difference of 2,511 Patents.

That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Korea's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 46 shared years of data; in 1978 it was Korea ahead.

China ranks 4th and Korea ranks 2nd of 88 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Korea in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Korea Difference Ahead
1970s 0 Patents 0 Patents 0 Patents
1980s 11.35 Patents 11.8 Patents 0.45 Patents Korea
1990s 30.78 Patents 400.12 Patents 369.34 Patents Korea
2000s 918.78 Patents 3,472 Patents 2,554 Patents Korea
2010s 7,776 Patents 6,977 Patents 799.11 Patents China
2020s 16,864 Patents 10,503 Patents 6,361 Patents China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patents by wipo technology domains — patent applications, China or Korea?
China, at 13,210 Patents against 10,699 Patents in Korea as of 2023.
What is the difference in patents by wipo technology domains — patent applications between China and Korea?
2,511 Patents, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Korea?
46 years are reported by both, from 1978 to 2023.
How do China and Korea rank globally for patents by wipo technology domains — patent applications?
China ranks 4th and Korea ranks 2nd of 88 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as Patents by WIPO technology domains — Patent applications. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Korea: Patents by WIPO technology domains — Patent applications. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patents-by-wipo-technology-domains-patent-applications/china/korea/

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About this data

Indicator
Patents by WIPO technology domains — Patent applications
Unit
Patents
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
104 places, 4,784 data points, 1978–2023
Last refreshed

Patent counts by technology domains developed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)