Annual patent applications in Denmark

Denmark: Annual patent applications was 1,090 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
1,090
Change on year
down 13.6%
World rank
31st
of 135 countries
All-time high
1,877
in 2004
All-time low
856
in 1985
Years of data
42
1980–2021

Annual patent applications in Denmark, 1980–2021

05001.0k1.5k2.0k1980200020211980: 9641981: 1.1k1982: 1.1k1983: 1.2k1984: 9661985: 8561986: 9581987: 1.0k1988: 1.2k1989: 1.1k1990: 1.2k1991: 1.1k1992: 1.2k1993: 1.2k1994: 1.3k1995: 1.2k1996: 1.3k1997: 1.3k1998: 1.5k1999: 1.7k2000: 1.7k2001: 1.8k2002: 1.8k2003: 1.8k2004: 1.9k2005: 1.7k2006: 1.5k2007: 1.7k2008: 1.6k2009: 1.5k2010: 1.6k2011: 1.6k2012: 1.4k2013: 1.3k2014: 1.4k2015: 1.5k2016: 1.6k2017: 1.5k2018: 1.3k2019: 1.4k2020: 1.3k2021: 1.1k

Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2021, annual patent applications in Denmark stood at 1,090.

The figure is down 13.6% on the previous year and down 30.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual patent applications in Denmark peaked at 1,877 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 856, in 1985.

That places Denmark 31st out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1,042 856 1,197 10
1990s 1,298 1,061 1,656 10
2000s 1,692 1,503 1,877 10
2010s 1,444 1,262 1,626 10
2020s 1,176 1,090 1,261 2

Countries ranked near Denmark

  1. 28 Ukraine 1,302 compare
  2. 29 Switzerland 1,288 compare
  3. 30 Mexico 1,117 compare
  4. 32 Vietnam 1,066 compare
  5. 33 Norway 946 compare
  6. 34 Malaysia 883 compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More science & technology data for Denmark

All data for Denmark →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual patent applications in Denmark?
Annual patent applications in Denmark was 1,090 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 Denmark?
The highest recorded value was 1,877 in 2004.
What is the lowest annual patent applications recorded in Denmark?
The lowest recorded value was 856 in 1985.
How does Denmark rank for annual patent applications?
Denmark ranks 31st out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
Is annual patent applications rising or falling in Denmark?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Denmark 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).

About this data

Indicator
Annual patent applications
Source
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
135 places, 3,804 data points, 1980–2021
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