Annual patent applications in India
India: Annual patent applications was 26,267 in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
26,267
Change on year
up 13.5%
World rank
6th
of 135 countries
All-time high
26,267
in 2021
All-time low
982
in 1985
Years of data
41
1980–2021
Annual patent applications in India, 1980–2021
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
India recorded 26,267 for annual patent applications in 2021. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.5% on the previous year and up 197.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications in India peaked at 26,267 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 982, in 1985.
That places India 6th out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual patent applications in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,207 | — |
| 1981 | 1,067 | -11.6% |
| 1982 | 1,128 | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 1,003 | -11.1% |
| 1985 | 982 | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 999 | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 988 | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 1,033 | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 1,048 | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 1,147 | +9.4% |
| 1991 | 1,267 | +10.5% |
| 1992 | 1,248 | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 1,209 | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 1,588 | +31.3% |
| 1995 | 1,545 | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 1,661 | +7.5% |
| 1997 | 1,926 | +16.0% |
| 1998 | 2,247 | +16.7% |
| 1999 | 2,206 | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 2,206 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 2,379 | +7.8% |
| 2002 | 2,693 | +13.2% |
| 2003 | 3,425 | +27.2% |
| 2004 | 4,014 | +17.2% |
| 2005 | 4,721 | +17.6% |
| 2006 | 5,686 | +20.4% |
| 2007 | 6,296 | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 6,425 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 7,262 | +13.0% |
| 2010 | 8,853 | +21.9% |
| 2011 | 8,841 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 9,553 | +8.1% |
| 2013 | 10,669 | +11.7% |
| 2014 | 12,040 | +12.9% |
| 2015 | 12,579 | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 13,199 | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 14,961 | +13.3% |
| 2018 | 16,289 | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 19,454 | +19.4% |
| 2020 | 23,141 | +19.0% |
| 2021 | 26,267 | +13.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 26,267 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47, 558.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- India's 26,267 is above the median for South Asia, which is 74, 355.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,051 | 982 | 1,207 | 9 |
| 1990s | 1,604 | 1,147 | 2,247 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,511 | 2,206 | 7,262 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,644 | 8,841 | 19,454 | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,704 | 23,141 | 26,267 | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
More science & technology data for India
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 79.35 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.7935 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 1.15 billion (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 389.67 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -1.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -0.6206 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 228,174 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications in India?
- Annual patent applications in India was 26,267 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 26,267 in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 982 in 1985.
- How does India rank for annual patent applications?
- India ranks 6th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 197.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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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