Annual patent applications per million people in Australia
Australia: Annual patent applications per million people was 115.47 applications per million people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
115.47 applications per million people
Change on year
up 25.1%
World rank
25th
of 135 countries
All-time high
138.72 applications per million people
in 2006
All-time low
24.3 applications per million people
in 1982
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Australia, 1980–2021
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World i. Measured in applications per million people.
Analysis
Australia recorded 115.47 applications per million people for annual patent applications per million people in 2021.
The figure is up 25.1% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Australia peaked at 138.72 applications per million people in 2006 and was at its lowest, 24.3 applications per million people, in 1982.
Australia ranks 25th of 135 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Annual patent applications per million people in Australia, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 27.02 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 30.69 applications per million people | +13.6% |
| 1982 | 24.3 applications per million people | -20.8% |
| 1983 | 28.97 applications per million people | +19.2% |
| 1984 | 36.27 applications per million people | +25.2% |
| 1985 | 44.27 applications per million people | +22.1% |
| 1986 | 60.37 applications per million people | +36.4% |
| 1987 | 69.54 applications per million people | +15.2% |
| 1988 | 85.77 applications per million people | +23.3% |
| 1989 | 98.07 applications per million people | +14.3% |
| 1990 | 100.32 applications per million people | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 99.34 applications per million people | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 96.98 applications per million people | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 94.3 applications per million people | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 95.42 applications per million people | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 99.08 applications per million people | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 98.6 applications per million people | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 95.53 applications per million people | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 100.07 applications per million people | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 98.77 applications per million people | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 101.32 applications per million people | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 113.47 applications per million people | +12.0% |
| 2002 | 121.26 applications per million people | +6.9% |
| 2003 | 122.61 applications per million people | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 128.38 applications per million people | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 126.63 applications per million people | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 138.72 applications per million people | +9.5% |
| 2007 | 130.5 applications per million people | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 132.76 applications per million people | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 114.97 applications per million people | -13.4% |
| 2010 | 109.34 applications per million people | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 106.67 applications per million people | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 115.56 applications per million people | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 132.35 applications per million people | +14.5% |
| 2014 | 84.68 applications per million people | -36.0% |
| 2015 | 96.2 applications per million people | +13.6% |
| 2016 | 108.31 applications per million people | +12.6% |
| 2017 | 101.78 applications per million people | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 110.44 applications per million people | +8.5% |
| 2019 | 104.09 applications per million people | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 92.32 applications per million people | -11.3% |
| 2021 | 115.47 applications per million people | +25.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 115.47 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 1.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Australia's 115.47 applications per million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.98 applications per million people, 4.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 50.53 applications per million people | 24.3 applications per million people | 98.07 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 97.84 applications per million people | 94.3 applications per million people | 100.32 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 123.06 applications per million people | 101.32 applications per million people | 138.72 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 106.94 applications per million people | 84.68 applications per million people | 132.35 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 103.9 applications per million people | 92.32 applications per million people | 115.47 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 22 Monaco 129.78 applications per million people compare
- 23 Canada 123.17 applications per million people compare
- 24 Netherlands 118.63 applications per million people compare
- 26 Iran 115.42 applications per million people compare
- 27 Slovenia 105.31 applications per million people compare
- 28 Turkey 97.85 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Australia
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 112.58 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.11 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 30.07 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 3.87 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.0604 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 1.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 54,589 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Australia?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Australia was 115.47 applications per million people in 2021, according to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World i.
- What is the highest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 138.72 applications per million people in 2006.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.3 applications per million people in 1982.
- How does Australia rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Australia ranks 25th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World i, published as part of Annual patent applications per million people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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