China vs Japan: Annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies
China
152 patents
in 2025
Japan
27 patents
in 2025
China rank
1st
Japan rank
3rd
Annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 152 patents against 27 patents in Japan, a difference of 125 patents.
That makes China's figure about 5.6 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 53 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Japan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 555.4 patents | 1,391 patents | 835.2 patents | Japan |
| 2010s | 3,742 patents | 2,348 patents | 1,393 patents | China |
| 2020s | 6,509 patents | 816.67 patents | 5,692 patents | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies, China or Japan?
- China, at 152 patents against 27 patents in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies between China and Japan?
- 125 patents, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 53 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IRENA – INSPIRE Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual patents filed for electric vehicle technologies. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Figures in recent years are subject to a time lag; submitted patents may not yet be reflected in the data.