Annual patent applications in Belgium
Belgium: Annual patent applications was 799 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Annual patent applications in Belgium, 1980–2021
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual patent applications in Belgium is 799, measured in 2021.
The figure is down 7.3% on the previous year and up 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications in Belgium peaked at 1,054 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 454, in 2007.
Belgium ranks 38th of 135 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 768.9 | 548 | 914 | 10 |
| 1990s | 707.7 | 591 | 809 | 10 |
| 2000s | 548.7 | 454 | 669 | 10 |
| 2010s | 838.7 | 620 | 1,054 | 10 |
| 2020s | 830.5 | 799 | 862 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More science & technology data for Belgium
- Scientific and technical journal articles 16,816 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 12.20 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 103.91 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 103.91 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 415 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 95.8% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 799 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 3.3% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 3,883 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 10.74 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications in Belgium?
- Annual patent applications in Belgium was 799 in 2021, according to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual patent applications recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 1,054 in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 454 in 2007.
- How does Belgium rank for annual patent applications?
- Belgium ranks 38th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual patent applications. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).