China (People’s Republic of) vs Germany: Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications

China (People’s Republic of)
13,210 Patents
in 2023
Germany
18,453 Patents
in 2023
China (People’s Republic of) rank
4th
Germany rank
2nd

Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications over time

  • China (People’s Republic of)
  • Germany
05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k197820002023

How they compare

Germany currently reports 18,453 Patents against 13,210 Patents in China (People’s Republic of), a difference of 5,243 Patents.

That makes Germany's figure about 1.4 times China (People’s Republic of)'s.

Across all 46 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.

China (People’s Republic of) ranks 4th and Germany ranks 2nd of 88 countries.

Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China (People’s Republic of) Germany Difference Ahead
1970s 0 Patents 2,297 Patents 2,297 Patents Germany
1980s 11.35 Patents 8,275 Patents 8,263 Patents Germany
1990s 30.78 Patents 13,402 Patents 13,372 Patents Germany
2000s 918.78 Patents 22,481 Patents 21,563 Patents Germany
2010s 7,776 Patents 22,949 Patents 15,173 Patents Germany
2020s 16,864 Patents 21,036 Patents 4,173 Patents Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications, China (People’s Republic of) or Germany?
Germany, at 18,453 Patents against 13,210 Patents in China (People’s Republic of) as of 2023.
What is the difference in patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications between China (People’s Republic of) and Germany?
5,243 Patents, with Germany ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China (People’s Republic of) and Germany?
46 years are reported by both, from 1978 to 2023.
How do China (People’s Republic of) and Germany rank globally for patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 4th and Germany ranks 2nd of 88 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China (People’s Republic of) vs Germany: Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/patents-in-oecd-selected-technologies-patent-applications/china/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Patents in OECD selected technologies — 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 (including total patents, estimated total patents for latest years): EPO, USPTO, PCT and Patent Families indicators are presented for selected technology domains such as ICT, Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology as well as environment-related and health-related technologies.