Annual patent applications in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Annual patent applications was 15 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Annual patent applications in Costa Rica, 1980–2021
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 15 for annual patent applications in 2021.
The figure is up 25.0% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications in Costa Rica peaked at 63 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 8, in 2010.
That places Costa Rica 99th out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21 | 10 | 41 | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.1 | 15 | 63 | 10 |
| 2000s | 23 | 16 | 33 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.2 | 8 | 19 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.5 | 12 | 15 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More science & technology data for Costa Rica
- Scientific and technical journal articles 660.82 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 6.98 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 136.03 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 136.03 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 566 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 87.2% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 15 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 0.3% (2023)
- Number of people using the Internet 4.19 million users (2021)
- Landline Internet subscriptions per 100 people 23.29 per 100 people (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications in Costa Rica?
- Annual patent applications in Costa Rica was 15 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 63 in 1991.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 8 in 2010.
- How does Costa Rica rank for annual patent applications?
- Costa Rica ranks 99th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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).