Annual patent applications in New Zealand
New Zealand: Annual patent applications was 330 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Annual patent applications in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand is 330, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 78.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications in New Zealand peaked at 2,153 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 324, in 2019.
New Zealand ranks 53rd 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.
Annual patent applications in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,148 | — |
| 1981 | 1,033 | -10.0% |
| 1982 | 986 | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 1,110 | +12.6% |
| 1984 | 1,001 | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 1,008 | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 957 | -5.1% |
| 1987 | 912 | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 803 | -12.0% |
| 1989 | 807 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 802 | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 983 | +22.6% |
| 1992 | 1,031 | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 1,236 | +19.9% |
| 1994 | 1,254 | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 1,284 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 1,275 | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 1,572 | +23.3% |
| 1998 | 1,181 | -24.9% |
| 1999 | 1,420 | +20.2% |
| 2000 | 1,463 | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 1,768 | +20.8% |
| 2002 | 1,839 | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 1,845 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 1,631 | -11.6% |
| 2005 | 1,893 | +16.1% |
| 2006 | 2,153 | +13.7% |
| 2007 | 1,892 | -12.1% |
| 2008 | 1,256 | -33.6% |
| 2009 | 1,555 | +23.8% |
| 2010 | 1,585 | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 1,501 | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 1,425 | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 1,614 | +13.3% |
| 2014 | 1,636 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 1,184 | -27.6% |
| 2016 | 1,075 | -9.2% |
| 2017 | 1,014 | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 1,017 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 324 | -68.1% |
| 2020 | 348 | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 330 | -5.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 330 is below the median for high income countries, which is 397.5, 83% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 330 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 875, 38% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications in New Zealand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | -68.1% | 1,017 | 324 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 976.5 | 803 | 1,148 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,204 | 802 | 1,572 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,730 | 1,256 | 2,153 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,238 | 324 | 1,636 | 10 |
| 2020s | 339 | 330 | 348 | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More science & technology data for New Zealand
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 130.09 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.28 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 6.78 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 24.92 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 3.37 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 5,684 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 5,684 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications in New Zealand?
- Annual patent applications in New Zealand was 330 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2,153 in 2006.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 324 in 2019.
- How does New Zealand rank for annual patent applications?
- New Zealand ranks 53rd out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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).