Life science patents granted, by technology in Japan
Japan: Life science patents granted, by technology was 4,732 patents in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
4,732 patents
Change on year
up 5.7%
World rank
3rd
of 65 countries
All-time high
4,923 patents
in 2014
All-time low
451 patents
in 1980
Years of data
44
1980–2023
Life science patents granted, by technology in Japan, 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 Japan stood at 4,732 patents.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.7% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life science patents granted, by technology in Japan peaked at 4,923 patents in 2014 and was at its lowest, 451 patents, in 1980.
That places Japan 3rd out of 65 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Life science patents granted, by technology in Japan, year by year
| Year | patents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 451 patents | — |
| 1981 | 520 patents | +15.3% |
| 1982 | 638 patents | +22.7% |
| 1983 | 536 patents | -16.0% |
| 1984 | 593 patents | +10.6% |
| 1985 | 805 patents | +35.8% |
| 1986 | 786 patents | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 804 patents | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 971 patents | +20.8% |
| 1989 | 961 patents | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 781 patents | -18.7% |
| 1991 | 1,106 patents | +41.6% |
| 1992 | 1,036 patents | -6.3% |
| 1993 | 1,170 patents | +12.9% |
| 1994 | 1,501 patents | +28.3% |
| 1995 | 1,540 patents | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 1,267 patents | -17.7% |
| 1997 | 1,313 patents | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 1,528 patents | +16.4% |
| 1999 | 1,551 patents | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 1,233 patents | -20.5% |
| 2001 | 1,144 patents | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 850 patents | -25.7% |
| 2003 | 852 patents | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 1,077 patents | +26.4% |
| 2005 | 993 patents | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 1,123 patents | +13.1% |
| 2007 | 1,426 patents | +27.0% |
| 2008 | 1,768 patents | +24.0% |
| 2009 | 2,206 patents | +24.8% |
| 2010 | 2,722 patents | +23.4% |
| 2011 | 3,620 patents | +33.0% |
| 2012 | 4,113 patents | +13.6% |
| 2013 | 4,301 patents | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 4,923 patents | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 4,389 patents | -10.8% |
| 2016 | 4,774 patents | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 4,213 patents | -11.8% |
| 2018 | 3,795 patents | -9.9% |
| 2019 | 3,450 patents | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 3,468 patents | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 4,091 patents | +18.0% |
| 2022 | 4,478 patents | +9.5% |
| 2023 | 4,732 patents | +5.7% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 4,732 patents is above the median for high income countries, which is 14 patents, 338.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Japan's 4,732 patents is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 343 patents, 13.8× the median. (9 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 706.5 patents | 451 patents | 971 patents | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,279 patents | 781 patents | 1,551 patents | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,267 patents | 850 patents | 2,206 patents | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,030 patents | 2,722 patents | 4,923 patents | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,192 patents | 3,468 patents | 4,732 patents | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 1 China 14,477 patents compare
- 2 United States 6,365 patents compare
- 4 South Korea 2,686 patents compare
- 5 Canada 2,144 patents compare
- 6 Australia 1,746 patents compare
More science & technology data for Japan
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 178.43 (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.78 units per person (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 221.92 million (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 608.71 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 5.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.3 % change on previous year (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 96,543 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0008 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life science patents granted, by technology in Japan?
- Life science patents granted, by technology in Japan was 4,732 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 4,923 patents in 2014.
- What is the lowest life science patents granted, by technology recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 451 patents in 1980.
- How does Japan rank for life science patents granted, by technology?
- Japan ranks 3rd out of 65 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life science patents granted, by technology rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.
Download this data
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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.