Life science patents granted, by technology in Australia
Australia: Life science patents granted, by technology was 1,746 patents in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life science patents granted, by technology in Australia, 1980–2023
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in patents.
Analysis
In 2023, life science patents granted, by technology in Australia stood at 1,746 patents.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life science patents granted, by technology in Australia peaked at 2,351 patents in 2016 and was at its lowest, 277 patents, in 1984.
Australia ranks 6th of 64 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 399.1 patents | 277 patents | 633 patents | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,024 patents | 739 patents | 1,485 patents | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,398 patents | 1,245 patents | 1,605 patents | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,068 patents | 1,618 patents | 2,351 patents | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,881 patents | 1,713 patents | 2,044 patents | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More science & technology data for Australia
- Scientific and technical journal articles 54,589 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 30.07 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 112.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 112.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 29,443 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 96.1% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 2,966 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 1.9% (2021)
- Number of people using the Internet 25.17 million users (2021)
- Landline Internet subscriptions per 100 people 36.48 per 100 people (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life science patents granted, by technology in Australia?
- Life science patents granted, by technology in Australia was 1,746 patents in 2023, according to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life science patents granted, by technology recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2,351 patents in 2016.
- What is the lowest life science patents granted, by technology recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 277 patents in 1984.
- How does Australia rank for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Australia ranks 6th out of 64 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life science patents granted, by technology rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life science patents granted, by technology. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of pharmaceutical patents granted by the filing office in a given year. Pharmaceutical patents typically cover new drugs, biological treatments or vaccines.