Patent applications, nonresidents by country
Patent applications are worldwide patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides...
Countries reporting
157
Highest
332,899
United States
Lowest
1
Uganda
Median
88
Years covered
45
1980–2024
Data points
5,085
What the numbers show
Patent applications, nonresidents is currently reported for 157 countries. The highest value is 332,899 in United States; the lowest is 1 in Uganda.
The median across all reporting countries is 88, and the mean is 5,768.
Over the past decade 65 countries rose and 84 fell. The largest increase was in Gambia (up 4,300.0%), and the largest decrease in Montenegro (down 97.6%).
Patent applications, nonresidents: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 332,899 | 2024 | up 15.5% | volatile |
| 2 | China | 156,053 | 2024 | up 22.8% | volatile |
| 3 | Japan | 69,686 | 2024 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 4 | South Korea | 50,459 | 2024 | up 9.2% | volatile |
| 5 | India | 41,940 | 2024 | up 36.1% | volatile |
| 6 | Canada | 31,070 | 2024 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 7 | Australia | 27,945 | 2024 | up 16.6% | rising |
| 8 | Brazil | 19,845 | 2024 | down 22.7% | volatile |
| 9 | Germany | 19,177 | 2024 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 10 | Hong Kong | 15,445 | 2024 | up 25.1% | volatile |
| 11 | Mexico | 15,017 | 2024 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 12 | Singapore | 11,523 | 2024 | up 27.9% | volatile |
| 13 | Indonesia | 8,971 | 2024 | up 22.5% | volatile |
| 14 | Vietnam | 8,678 | 2024 | up 119.1% | volatile |
| 15 | South Africa | 8,549 | 2024 | up 26.7% | rising |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 7,847 | 2024 | up 0.0% | falling |
| 17 | Thailand | 7,797 | 2024 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 18 | Israel | 6,814 | 2024 | up 32.4% | rising |
| 19 | Malaysia | 6,356 | 2024 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 20 | New Zealand | 5,684 | 2024 | down 6.7% | rising |
| 21 | Russia | 5,196 | 2024 | down 68.0% | rising |
| 22 | Saudi Arabia | 4,921 | 2024 | up 3,545.2% | volatile |
| 23 | Luxembourg | 3,714 | 2024 | up 4,026.7% | volatile |
| 24 | Philippines | 3,698 | 2024 | up 13.6% | rising |
| 25 | United Arab Emirates | 3,320 | 2024 | up 130.9% | rising |
| 26 | Argentina | 3,146 | 2024 | down 24.6% | rising |
| 27 | Chile | 2,829 | 2024 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 28 | Morocco | 2,556 | 2024 | up 244.5% | volatile |
| 29 | Colombia | 1,661 | 2024 | down 12.5% | rising |
| 30 | Ukraine | 1,590 | 2024 | down 32.5% | rising |
| 31 | France | 1,378 | 2024 | down 32.2% | volatile |
| 32 | Egypt | 1,272 | 2024 | down 8.1% | rising |
| 33 | Netherlands | 1,266 | 2024 | up 339.6% | volatile |
| 34 | Italy | 1,188 | 2024 | up 52.1% | volatile |
| 35 | Qatar | 1,109 | 2024 | up 132.5% | rising |
| 36 | Peru | 1,081 | 2024 | down 10.2% | volatile |
| 37 | Oman | 757 | 2024 | up 122.0% | rising |
| 38 | Kuwait | 653 | 2024 | up 1,664.9% | volatile |
| 39 | Nigeria | 598 | 2020 | down 19.9% | rising |
| 40 | Greece | 560 | 2024 | up 2,847.4% | volatile |
| 41 | Norway | 539 | 2024 | up 17.9% | volatile |
| 42 | San Marino | 521 | 2024 | up 172.8% | rising |
| 43 | Pakistan | 499 | 2024 | down 35.7% | falling |
| 44 | Costa Rica | 438 | 2024 | down 17.2% | volatile |
| 45 | Belgium | 412 | 2024 | up 200.7% | volatile |
| 46 | Uruguay | 401 | 2024 | down 40.5% | volatile |
| 47 | Bahrain | 387 | 2024 | up 94.5% | volatile |
| 48 | Ecuador | 371 | 2024 | up 3.6% | volatile |
| 49 | Paraguay | 366 | 2024 | up 5.5% | volatile |
| 50 | Turkey | 347 | 2024 | up 4.8% | volatile |
| 51 | Iran | 343 | 2024 | up 188.2% | volatile |
| 52 | Algeria | 329 | 2024 | down 54.2% | volatile |
| 53 | Bangladesh | 302 | 2024 | up 21.3% | rising |
| 54 | Sweden | 296 | 2024 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 55 | Panama | 283 | 2024 | up 3.3% | volatile |
| 56 | Kazakhstan | 280 | 2024 | up 3.3% | volatile |
| 57 | Switzerland | 271 | 2024 | down 52.3% | volatile |
| 58 | Jordan | 268 | 2024 | down 20.9% | volatile |
| 59 | Uzbekistan | 251 | 2024 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 60 | Guatemala | 239 | 2024 | down 17.0% | rising |
| 61 | Bolivia | 216 | 2022 | down 26.5% | volatile |
| 62 | Tunisia | 215 | 2024 | down 46.2% | volatile |
| 63 | Denmark | 204 | 2024 | down 1.0% | volatile |
| 64 | Dominican Republic | 202 | 2024 | down 17.2% | rising |
| 65 | Venezuela | 197 | 2024 | down 85.7% | falling |
| 66 | Sri Lanka | 181 | 2024 | down 3.7% | rising |
| 67 | Honduras | 177 | 2024 | down 16.1% | volatile |
| 68 | Austria | 159 | 2024 | down 41.3% | volatile |
| 69 | Cambodia | 150 | 2024 | up 130.8% | volatile |
| 70 | Nicaragua | 145 | 2014 | up 12.4% | volatile |
| 71 | El Salvador | 138 | 2024 | down 26.2% | rising |
| 72 | Brunei | 137 | 2024 | up 50.5% | volatile |
| 73 | Spain | 134 | 2024 | down 40.4% | volatile |
| 74 | Hungary | 113 | 2024 | up 54.8% | volatile |
| 75 | Mongolia | 97 | 2024 | down 23.0% | volatile |
| 76 | Georgia | 95 | 2024 | down 49.2% | falling |
| 77 | Trinidad and Tobago | 91 | 2024 | down 50.5% | rising |
| 78 | Poland | 90 | 2024 | down 41.9% | volatile |
| 79 | Gambia | 88 | 2022 | up 4,300.0% | volatile |
| 80 | Iraq | 82 | 2024 | down 19.6% | volatile |
| 81 | Ireland | 64 | 2024 | down 8.6% | volatile |
| 82 | Romania | 63 | 2024 | down 25.0% | volatile |
| 83 | Finland | 59 | 2024 | down 53.2% | volatile |
| 84 | Portugal | 53 | 2024 | up 194.4% | volatile |
| 85 | Azerbaijan | 49 | 2024 | up 157.9% | volatile |
| 85 | Macao | 49 | 2024 | down 52.9% | volatile |
| 87 | Bahamas | 48 | 2017 | down 42.2% | rising |
| 87 | Laos | 48 | 2024 | up 11.6% | volatile |
| 89 | Belarus | 47 | 2024 | down 55.2% | volatile |
| 90 | Jamaica | 45 | 2024 | down 63.1% | falling |
| 91 | Nepal | 43 | 2017 | up 186.7% | volatile |
| 92 | Czechia | 38 | 2024 | down 38.7% | volatile |
| 92 | Kenya | 38 | 2024 | down 49.3% | falling |
| 94 | Ethiopia | 34 | 2024 | up 54.5% | volatile |
| 95 | Papua New Guinea | 31 | 2022 | down 60.8% | falling |
| 96 | Cuba | 30 | 2024 | down 76.2% | volatile |
| 97 | Mozambique | 29 | 2024 | down 37.0% | volatile |
| 98 | Congo | 27 | 1996 | down 66.7% | volatile |
| 99 | Slovenia | 25 | 2024 | up 127.3% | volatile |
| 100 | Belize | 23 | 2024 | down 36.1% | falling |
| 100 | Libya | 23 | 1996 | down 4.2% | falling |
| 100 | Syria | 23 | 2023 | up 43.8% | volatile |
| 103 | Madagascar | 22 | 2024 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 104 | Botswana | 20 | 2024 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 105 | Haiti | 19 | 2014 | up 280.0% | flat |
| 106 | Guyana | 18 | 2024 | down 5.3% | volatile |
| 107 | Grenada | 17 | 2022 | down 34.6% | rising |
| 108 | Ghana | 14 | 2023 | down 17.6% | flat |
| 108 | Seychelles | 14 | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 108 | Zambia | 14 | 2024 | down 44.0% | volatile |
| 111 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13 | 2024 | up 550.0% | volatile |
| 111 | Malta | 13 | 2024 | up 62.5% | volatile |
| 111 | Zimbabwe | 13 | 2024 | down 31.6% | volatile |
| 114 | Barbados | 12 | 2024 | down 68.4% | falling |
| 114 | Bhutan | 12 | 2023 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 114 | Serbia | 12 | 2024 | up 20.0% | volatile |
| 117 | Andorra | 10 | 2024 | up 233.3% | rising |
| 117 | Slovakia | 10 | 2024 | down 56.5% | volatile |
| 119 | Tuvalu | 9 | 2022 | — | rising |
| 120 | Namibia | 8 | 2024 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 121 | Bulgaria | 7 | 2024 | down 56.2% | volatile |
| 121 | Djibouti | 7 | 2022 | up 250.0% | rising |
| 121 | Kyrgyzstan | 7 | 2024 | unchanged | volatile |
| 121 | Saint Lucia | 7 | 2001 | up 250.0% | volatile |
| 121 | Mauritius | 7 | 2024 | down 61.1% | volatile |
| 121 | Sudan | 7 | 2020 | up 250.0% | volatile |
| 127 | Armenia | 6 | 2024 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 127 | Croatia | 6 | 2024 | down 80.0% | volatile |
| 127 | North Korea | 6 | 2020 | down 84.6% | volatile |
| 127 | Tonga | 6 | 2023 | up 500.0% | volatile |
| 127 | Yemen | 6 | 2023 | down 83.8% | volatile |
| 132 | Iceland | 5 | 2024 | down 61.5% | volatile |
| 132 | Lithuania | 5 | 2024 | down 88.1% | volatile |
| 132 | Moldova | 5 | 2024 | down 93.1% | volatile |
| 132 | Sao Tome and Principe | 5 | 2023 | down 37.5% | volatile |
| 136 | Antigua and Barbuda | 4 | 2024 | down 73.3% | falling |
| 136 | Kiribati | 4 | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 136 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4 | 2024 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 139 | Estonia | 3 | 2024 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 139 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3 | 2024 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 139 | Latvia | 3 | 2024 | down 25.0% | volatile |
| 139 | Rwanda | 3 | 2024 | down 57.1% | volatile |
| 139 | Tajikistan | 3 | 2022 | unchanged | volatile |
| 144 | Cyprus | 2 | 2022 | down 75.0% | volatile |
| 144 | Dominica | 2 | 2024 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 144 | Monaco | 2 | 2023 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 144 | Solomon Islands | 2 | 1989 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 144 | Eswatini | 2 | 2015 | — | volatile |
| 144 | Samoa | 2 | 2023 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 150 | Albania | 1 | 2023 | down 75.0% | volatile |
| 150 | Burundi | 1 | 2023 | down 90.0% | volatile |
| 150 | Cape Verde | 1 | 2024 | unchanged | volatile |
| 150 | North Macedonia | 1 | 2024 | down 75.0% | volatile |
| 150 | Montenegro | 1 | 2024 | down 97.6% | volatile |
| 150 | Malawi | 1 | 2016 | — | falling |
| 150 | Tanzania | 1 | 2015 | down 66.7% | volatile |
| 150 | Uganda | 1 | 2024 | down 66.7% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- World 1.02 million
- High income 723,652
- East Asia & Pacific 372,778
- North America 363,969
- Upper middle income 248,354
- Europe & Central Asia 161,435
- Lower middle income 47,688
- Latin America & Caribbean 46,623
- South Asia 42,423
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 23,816
- Sub-Saharan Africa 9,805
- Low income 1,155
About this data
Patent applications are worldwide patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.