Patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa
South Africa: Patent applications, nonresidents was 9,156 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa, 1980–2021
Source: WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans.
Analysis
In 2021, patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa stood at 9,156. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 49.0% on the previous year and up 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa peaked at 9,156 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2,400, in 2000.
That places South Africa 14th out of 150 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5,024 | — |
| 1981 | 5,694 | +13.3% |
| 1982 | 6,585 | +15.6% |
| 1983 | 5,479 | -16.8% |
| 1984 | 6,275 | +14.5% |
| 1985 | 5,849 | -6.8% |
| 1986 | 5,046 | -13.7% |
| 1987 | 4,844 | -4.0% |
| 1988 | 4,905 | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 4,842 | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 4,943 | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 4,654 | -5.8% |
| 1992 | 4,423 | -5.0% |
| 1993 | 4,282 | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 4,968 | +16.0% |
| 1995 | 5,482 | +10.3% |
| 1996 | 6,115 | +11.5% |
| 1997 | 6,917 | +13.1% |
| 1998 | 7,190 | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 3,002 | -58.2% |
| 2000 | 2,400 | -20.1% |
| 2001 | 5,427 | +126.1% |
| 2002 | 5,617 | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 5,303 | -5.6% |
| 2004 | 5,833 | +10.0% |
| 2005 | 6,001 | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 6,739 | +12.3% |
| 2007 | 7,402 | +9.8% |
| 2008 | 7,081 | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 5,913 | -16.5% |
| 2010 | 5,562 | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 6,589 | +18.5% |
| 2012 | 6,836 | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 6,657 | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 6,750 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 6,608 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 6,506 | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 6,816 | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 6,258 | -8.2% |
| 2019 | 6,347 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 6,146 | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 9,156 | +49.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 9,156 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 144, 63.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 9,156 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.5, 732.5× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +126.1% | 2,400 | 5,427 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5,454 | 4,842 | 6,585 | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,198 | 3,002 | 7,190 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,772 | 2,400 | 7,402 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,493 | 5,562 | 6,836 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,651 | 6,146 | 9,156 | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More science & technology data for South Africa
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 179.34 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 89.37 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 4.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.88 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 14,949 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa?
- Patent applications, nonresidents in South Africa was 9,156 in 2021, according to WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans.
- What is the highest patent applications, nonresidents recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9,156 in 2021.
- What is the lowest patent applications, nonresidents recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,400 in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for patent applications, nonresidents?
- South Africa ranks 14th out of 150 countries with data for 2021.
- Is patent applications, nonresidents rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans, published as part of Patent applications, nonresidents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.