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
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.
Annual patent applications in Denmark, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 964 | — |
| 1981 | 1,085 | +12.6% |
| 1982 | 1,095 | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 1,167 | +6.6% |
| 1984 | 966 | -17.2% |
| 1985 | 856 | -11.4% |
| 1986 | 958 | +11.9% |
| 1987 | 1,007 | +5.1% |
| 1988 | 1,197 | +18.9% |
| 1989 | 1,120 | -6.4% |
| 1990 | 1,218 | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 1,061 | -12.9% |
| 1992 | 1,204 | +13.5% |
| 1993 | 1,159 | -3.7% |
| 1994 | 1,274 | +9.9% |
| 1995 | 1,234 | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 1,309 | +6.1% |
| 1997 | 1,319 | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 1,543 | +17.0% |
| 1999 | 1,656 | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 1,730 | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 1,757 | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 1,815 | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 1,772 | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 1,877 | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 1,658 | -11.7% |
| 2006 | 1,503 | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 1,660 | +10.4% |
| 2008 | 1,634 | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 1,518 | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 1,626 | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 1,574 | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 1,406 | -10.7% |
| 2013 | 1,341 | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 1,377 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 1,462 | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 1,552 | +6.2% |
| 2017 | 1,490 | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 1,262 | -15.3% |
| 2019 | 1,351 | +7.1% |
| 2020 | 1,261 | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 1,090 | -13.6% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 1,090 is above the median for high income countries, which is 397.5, 2.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 1,090 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 276, 3.9× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More science & technology data for Denmark
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 126.69 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.27 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 7.57 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 188.43 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -0.0237 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.4681 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 15,603 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0026 units per person (2023)
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.
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