Life science patents granted by technology in South Africa

South Africa: Life science patents granted by technology was 2 in 2023. β—† Volatile

Latest (2023)
2
Change on year
down 77.8%
World rank
52nd
of 65 countries
All-time high
972
in 2008
All-time low
2
in 2023
Years of data
44
1980–2023

Life science patents granted by technology in South Africa, 1980–2023

02004006008001.0k1980200120231980: 3261981: 3181982: 4341983: 4671984: 4791985: 4661986: 5281987: 5491988: 5461989: 5331990: 5161991: 5581992: 6011993: 5611994: 4481995: 5511996: 6371997: 5961998: 6581999: 5982000: 2222001: 2262002: 7012003: 8702004: 9122005: 8322006: 8352007: 7752008: 9722009: 7772010: 6192011: 2392012: 5412013: 3832014: 3952015: 1702016: 242017: 262018: 162019: 242020: 92021: 132022: 92023: 2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 2 for life science patents granted by technology in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.

That represents a change of down 77.8% on the previous year and down 99.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life science patents granted by technology in South Africa peaked at 972 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 2, in 2023.

South Africa ranks 52nd of 65 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 464.6 318 549 10
1990s 572.4 448 658 10
2000s 712.2 222 972 10
2010s 243.7 16 619 10
2020s 8.25 2 13 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 52 Austria 2 compare
  2. 52 Portugal 2 compare
  3. 55 Croatia, Republic of 1 compare
  4. 55 Estonia, Republic of 1 compare
  5. 55 Israel 1 compare
  6. 55 Italy 1 compare
  7. 55 Lithuania, Republic of 1 compare
  8. 55 Malta 1 compare
  9. 55 Monaco 1 compare
  10. 55 Mongolia 1 compare
  11. 55 Slovenia, Republic of 1 compare
  12. 55 Ukraine 1 compare
  13. 55 Zimbabwe 1 compare

See the full ranking of 65 places β†’

More science & technology data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is life science patents granted by technology in South Africa?
Life science patents granted by technology in South Africa was 2 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest life science patents granted by technology recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 972 in 2008.
What is the lowest life science patents granted by technology recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2 in 2023.
How does South Africa rank for life science patents granted by technology?
South Africa ranks 52nd out of 65 countries with data for 2023.
Is life science patents granted by technology rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 99.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from 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 Β· JSON β€” 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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Life science patents granted by technology in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/life-science-patents-granted-by-technology/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Life science patents granted by technology
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
65 places, 2,044 data points, 1980–2023
Last refreshed