Life science patents granted, by technology in Spain

Spain: Life science patents granted, by technology was 30 patents in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
30 patents
Change on year
up 11.1%
World rank
25th
of 64 countries
All-time high
870 patents
in 1985
All-time low
17 patents
in 1997
Years of data
44
1980–2023

Life science patents granted, by technology in Spain, 1980–2023

02004006008001980200120231980: 493 patents1981: 429 patents1982: 471 patents1983: 626 patents1984: 510 patents1985: 870 patents1986: 740 patents1987: 691 patents1988: 404 patents1989: 213 patents1990: 75 patents1991: 59 patents1992: 29 patents1993: 30 patents1994: 42 patents1995: 55 patents1996: 49 patents1997: 17 patents1998: 51 patents1999: 45 patents2000: 58 patents2001: 50 patents2002: 36 patents2003: 55 patents2004: 57 patents2005: 90 patents2006: 81 patents2007: 74 patents2008: 70 patents2009: 99 patents2010: 143 patents2011: 128 patents2012: 105 patents2013: 115 patents2014: 112 patents2015: 114 patents2016: 61 patents2017: 64 patents2018: 73 patents2019: 47 patents2020: 30 patents2021: 25 patents2022: 27 patents2023: 30 patents

Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in patents.

Analysis

Spain recorded 30 patents for life science patents granted, by technology in 2023.

That represents a change of up 11.1% on the previous year and down 73.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life science patents granted, by technology in Spain peaked at 870 patents in 1985 and was at its lowest, 17 patents, in 1997.

Spain ranks 25th of 64 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 544.7 patents 213 patents 870 patents 10
1990s 45.2 patents 17 patents 75 patents 10
2000s 67 patents 36 patents 99 patents 10
2010s 96.2 patents 47 patents 143 patents 10
2020s 28 patents 25 patents 30 patents 4

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 22 Argentina 52 patents compare
  2. 23 Nicaragua 36 patents compare
  3. 24 Georgia 31 patents compare
  4. 26 Belgium 25 patents compare
  5. 27 Jordan 23 patents compare
  6. 28 Czechia 21 patents compare

See the full ranking of 65 places →

More science & technology data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is life science patents granted, by technology in Spain?
Life science patents granted, by technology in Spain was 30 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 Spain?
The highest recorded value was 870 patents in 1985.
What is the lowest life science patents granted, by technology recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 17 patents in 1997.
How does Spain rank for life science patents granted, by technology?
Spain ranks 25th out of 64 countries with data for 2023.
Is life science patents granted, by technology rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 73.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Spain 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

CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Life science patents granted, by technology
Unit
patents
Source
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
65 places, 2,044 data points, 1980–2023
Last refreshed

Number of pharmaceutical patents granted by the filing office in a given year. Pharmaceutical patents typically cover new drugs, biological treatments or vaccines.