Annual patent applications per million people by country
Countries reporting
132
Highest
3,598 applications per million people
South Korea
Lowest
0.0505 applications per million people
Ethiopia
Median
12.07 applications per million people
Years covered
42
1980–2021
Data points
3,804
What the numbers show
Annual patent applications per million people is currently reported for 132 countries. The highest value is 3,598 applications per million people in South Korea; the lowest is 0.0505 applications per million people in Ethiopia.
The median across all reporting countries is 12.07 applications per million people, and the mean is 99.7 applications per million people.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 71,303.
Over the past decade 55 countries rose and 73 fell. The largest increase was in Guyana (up 3,599.6%), and the largest decrease in Nicaragua (down 94.1%).
Annual patent applications per million people: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea | 3,598 applications per million people | 2021 | up 30.1% | volatile |
| 2 | Japan | 1,770 applications per million people | 2021 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 3 | China | 1,010 applications per million people | 2021 | up 226.7% | volatile |
| 4 | United States | 789.65 applications per million people | 2021 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 5 | Germany | 478.65 applications per million people | 2021 | down 18.2% | rising |
| 6 | Singapore | 371.13 applications per million people | 2021 | up 82.2% | volatile |
| 7 | Finland | 281 applications per million people | 2021 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 8 | North Korea | 265.42 applications per million people | 2020 | down 17.3% | rising |
| 9 | Barbados | 258.73 applications per million people | 2021 | up 2,294.7% | volatile |
| 10 | Austria | 209.03 applications per million people | 2021 | down 18.6% | falling |
| 11 | San Marino | 204.37 applications per million people | 2021 | down 38.6% | rising |
| 12 | France | 197.31 applications per million people | 2021 | down 12.0% | flat |
| 13 | Denmark | 186.11 applications per million people | 2021 | down 34.1% | rising |
| 15 | Norway | 174.92 applications per million people | 2021 | down 22.8% | flat |
| 16 | Italy | 173.86 applications per million people | 2021 | up 18.7% | rising |
| 17 | United Kingdom | 173.07 applications per million people | 2021 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 18 | Sweden | 170.03 applications per million people | 2021 | down 19.8% | falling |
| 19 | Israel | 169.88 applications per million people | 2021 | down 3.0% | falling |
| 20 | Switzerland | 147.97 applications per million people | 2021 | down 26.7% | falling |
| 21 | Russia | 135.19 applications per million people | 2021 | down 27.0% | rising |
| 22 | Monaco | 129.78 applications per million people | 2021 | down 26.6% | volatile |
| 23 | Canada | 123.17 applications per million people | 2021 | down 11.0% | rising |
| 24 | Netherlands | 118.63 applications per million people | 2021 | down 23.4% | flat |
| 25 | Australia | 115.47 applications per million people | 2021 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 26 | Iran | 115.42 applications per million people | 2021 | down 21.5% | volatile |
| 27 | Slovenia | 105.31 applications per million people | 2021 | down 54.0% | rising |
| 28 | Turkey | 97.85 applications per million people | 2021 | up 86.9% | volatile |
| 29 | Poland | 91.32 applications per million people | 2021 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 30 | Iceland | 91.27 applications per million people | 2021 | down 41.8% | rising |
| 31 | Belgium | 68.96 applications per million people | 2021 | up 19.7% | falling |
| 32 | Portugal | 68.62 applications per million people | 2021 | up 26.9% | volatile |
| 33 | New Zealand | 64.9 applications per million people | 2021 | down 81.0% | falling |
| 34 | Latvia | 55.19 applications per million people | 2021 | down 34.3% | flat |
| 35 | Hong Kong | 54.09 applications per million people | 2021 | up 111.3% | volatile |
| 36 | Czechia | 51.5 applications per million people | 2021 | down 31.0% | rising |
| 37 | Guyana | 49.05 applications per million people | 2021 | up 3,599.6% | volatile |
| 38 | Saudi Arabia | 45.41 applications per million people | 2021 | up 228.4% | volatile |
| 39 | Hungary | 44.96 applications per million people | 2021 | down 32.3% | volatile |
| 40 | Kazakhstan | 41.22 applications per million people | 2020 | down 59.0% | falling |
| 41 | Romania | 40.37 applications per million people | 2021 | down 42.9% | volatile |
| 42 | Greece | 37.27 applications per million people | 2021 | down 42.7% | volatile |
| 43 | Mongolia | 32.21 applications per million people | 2021 | down 19.8% | flat |
| 44 | Belarus | 29.67 applications per million people | 2021 | down 83.7% | falling |
| 45 | Ukraine | 29.39 applications per million people | 2021 | down 48.6% | falling |
| 46 | South Africa | 29.33 applications per million people | 2021 | up 137.0% | volatile |
| 47 | Lithuania | 28.84 applications per million people | 2021 | down 6.1% | volatile |
| 48 | Spain | 27.57 applications per million people | 2021 | down 62.4% | rising |
| 49 | Slovakia | 26.8 applications per million people | 2021 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 50 | Malaysia | 25.76 applications per million people | 2021 | down 30.2% | volatile |
| 51 | Bulgaria | 25.36 applications per million people | 2021 | down 28.9% | volatile |
| 52 | Moldova | 24.66 applications per million people | 2021 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 53 | Georgia | 24.27 applications per million people | 2021 | down 33.9% | falling |
| 54 | North Macedonia | 22.86 applications per million people | 2021 | up 19.7% | falling |
| 55 | Brazil | 22.27 applications per million people | 2021 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 56 | Chile | 20.66 applications per million people | 2021 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 57 | Serbia | 20.19 applications per million people | 2021 | down 18.8% | falling |
| 58 | Croatia | 19.85 applications per million people | 2021 | down 63.1% | falling |
| 59 | Estonia | 18.78 applications per million people | 2021 | down 59.8% | volatile |
| 60 | Qatar | 18.76 applications per million people | 2021 | up 977.3% | volatile |
| 61 | India | 18.57 applications per million people | 2021 | up 165.0% | volatile |
| 62 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 16.33 applications per million people | 2021 | up 42.1% | rising |
| 63 | Tunisia | 15.3 applications per million people | 2018 | up 112.2% | volatile |
| 64 | Iraq | 15.08 applications per million people | 2020 | up 69.0% | volatile |
| 66 | Armenia | 13.5 applications per million people | 2021 | down 66.2% | falling |
| 67 | Kyrgyzstan | 12.11 applications per million people | 2021 | down 45.8% | falling |
| 68 | Thailand | 12.09 applications per million people | 2021 | down 10.0% | volatile |
| 69 | Uzbekistan | 12.06 applications per million people | 2021 | up 23.3% | volatile |
| 70 | Sri Lanka | 12.01 applications per million people | 2021 | up 30.0% | volatile |
| 71 | Azerbaijan | 11.74 applications per million people | 2021 | down 44.2% | falling |
| 72 | Vietnam | 10.77 applications per million people | 2021 | up 217.7% | volatile |
| 73 | Bahamas | 10.24 applications per million people | 2017 | up 28.2% | falling |
| 75 | Albania | 9.24 applications per million people | 2021 | up 794.6% | volatile |
| 76 | Argentina | 8.96 applications per million people | 2021 | down 45.7% | falling |
| 77 | Mexico | 8.75 applications per million people | 2021 | down 5.3% | rising |
| 78 | Colombia | 8.44 applications per million people | 2021 | up 108.7% | volatile |
| 79 | Panama | 8.05 applications per million people | 2021 | up 41.7% | volatile |
| 80 | Montenegro | 7.98 applications per million people | 2020 | down 78.5% | volatile |
| 81 | Egypt | 7.94 applications per million people | 2021 | up 17.0% | rising |
| 82 | United Arab Emirates | 7.21 applications per million people | 2021 | up 55.1% | rising |
| 83 | Morocco | 6.87 applications per million people | 2021 | up 33.9% | volatile |
| 84 | Uruguay | 6.79 applications per million people | 2017 | down 36.1% | falling |
| 85 | Oman | 6.67 applications per million people | 2021 | up 457.9% | volatile |
| 86 | Algeria | 5.99 applications per million people | 2021 | up 135.1% | volatile |
| 87 | Jamaica | 5.64 applications per million people | 2021 | down 22.2% | volatile |
| 88 | Indonesia | 5.05 applications per million people | 2021 | up 136.3% | volatile |
| 89 | Mauritius | 4.74 applications per million people | 2021 | up 493.4% | volatile |
| 90 | Syria | 4.72 applications per million people | 2021 | down 53.7% | volatile |
| 91 | Samoa | 4.68 applications per million people | 2021 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 92 | Brunei | 4.43 applications per million people | 2021 | down 91.0% | volatile |
| 93 | Philippines | 4.33 applications per million people | 2021 | up 128.8% | rising |
| 94 | Sudan | 3.27 applications per million people | 2020 | down 54.0% | volatile |
| 95 | Venezuela | 3.14 applications per million people | 2017 | up 37.8% | volatile |
| 96 | Namibia | 3.02 applications per million people | 2019 | — | rising |
| 97 | Kenya | 3.01 applications per million people | 2021 | down 4.8% | volatile |
| 98 | Costa Rica | 2.96 applications per million people | 2021 | up 5.1% | volatile |
| 99 | Macao | 2.93 applications per million people | 2021 | down 59.7% | volatile |
| 100 | Peru | 2.84 applications per million people | 2021 | up 113.0% | falling |
| 101 | Libya | 2.41 applications per million people | 1996 | up 248.3% | volatile |
| 102 | Jordan | 2.26 applications per million people | 2021 | down 57.8% | volatile |
| 103 | Bahrain | 1.99 applications per million people | 2021 | up 138.3% | rising |
| 104 | Ecuador | 1.98 applications per million people | 2021 | up 646.1% | volatile |
| 105 | Cape Verde | 1.94 applications per million people | 2021 | down 50.4% | falling |
| 106 | Nigeria | 1.92 applications per million people | 2020 | up 413.0% | volatile |
| 107 | Cuba | 1.89 applications per million people | 2021 | down 65.6% | volatile |
| 108 | Pakistan | 1.78 applications per million people | 2021 | up 294.0% | volatile |
| 109 | Paraguay | 1.5 applications per million people | 2021 | down 52.3% | volatile |
| 110 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1.46 applications per million people | 2021 | down 2.4% | volatile |
| 111 | Bhutan | 1.31 applications per million people | 2019 | down 68.7% | volatile |
| 112 | Botswana | 1.25 applications per million people | 2021 | up 159.0% | volatile |
| 113 | Rwanda | 1.05 applications per million people | 2021 | down 71.6% | volatile |
| 114 | Mozambique | 0.9461 applications per million people | 2021 | up 179.7% | volatile |
| 115 | Honduras | 0.8192 applications per million people | 2018 | up 249.8% | volatile |
| 116 | Cyprus | 0.7591 applications per million people | 2021 | down 78.6% | volatile |
| 117 | Nepal | 0.714 applications per million people | 2017 | up 145.1% | volatile |
| 118 | Zambia | 0.6631 applications per million people | 2021 | up 219.1% | volatile |
| 119 | Dominican Republic | 0.6293 applications per million people | 2021 | down 58.3% | falling |
| 120 | Zimbabwe | 0.5479 applications per million people | 2016 | — | falling |
| 121 | Yemen | 0.5385 applications per million people | 2021 | up 112.2% | volatile |
| 122 | Guatemala | 0.5114 applications per million people | 2021 | up 89.1% | volatile |
| 123 | Bangladesh | 0.4414 applications per million people | 2021 | up 83.2% | falling |
| 124 | Bolivia | 0.4189 applications per million people | 2021 | down 49.5% | volatile |
| 125 | El Salvador | 0.3197 applications per million people | 2021 | down 71.8% | volatile |
| 126 | Uganda | 0.3049 applications per million people | 2021 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 127 | Madagascar | 0.2021 applications per million people | 2021 | up 53.7% | volatile |
| 128 | Haiti | 0.1928 applications per million people | 2014 | up 57.2% | volatile |
| 129 | Malawi | 0.1709 applications per million people | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 130 | Nicaragua | 0.1648 applications per million people | 2014 | down 94.1% | volatile |
| 131 | Burundi | 0.1585 applications per million people | 2020 | — | rising |
| 132 | Laos | 0.1403 applications per million people | 2018 | down 13.7% | volatile |
| 133 | Burkina Faso | 0.1236 applications per million people | 2010 | down 26.3% | volatile |
| 134 | Tajikistan | 0.1049 applications per million people | 2019 | down 92.9% | volatile |
| 135 | Ethiopia | 0.0505 applications per million people | 2020 | up 17.5% | volatile |