Annual patent applications per million people in Belgium
Belgium: Annual patent applications per million people was 68.96 applications per million people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
68.96 applications per million people
Change on year
down 7.7%
World rank
31st
of 135 countries
All-time high
93.02 applications per million people
in 2016
All-time low
42.73 applications per million people
in 2007
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Belgium, 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
The most recent figure for annual patent applications per million people in Belgium is 68.96 applications per million people, measured in 2021.
The figure is down 7.7% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Belgium peaked at 93.02 applications per million people in 2016 and was at its lowest, 42.73 applications per million people, in 2007.
Belgium ranks 31st of 135 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Annual patent applications per million people in Belgium, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 87.73 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 81.75 applications per million people | -6.8% |
| 1982 | 92.73 applications per million people | +13.4% |
| 1983 | 81.68 applications per million people | -11.9% |
| 1984 | 88.18 applications per million people | +8.0% |
| 1985 | 78.21 applications per million people | -11.3% |
| 1986 | 80.51 applications per million people | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 55.52 applications per million people | -31.0% |
| 1988 | 64.23 applications per million people | +15.7% |
| 1989 | 68.53 applications per million people | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 64.51 applications per million people | -5.9% |
| 1991 | 62.47 applications per million people | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 67.2 applications per million people | +7.6% |
| 1993 | 80.22 applications per million people | +19.4% |
| 1994 | 73.55 applications per million people | -8.3% |
| 1995 | 72.21 applications per million people | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 76.4 applications per million people | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 77.79 applications per million people | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 67.63 applications per million people | -13.1% |
| 1999 | 57.79 applications per million people | -14.5% |
| 2000 | 56.29 applications per million people | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 55.51 applications per million people | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 58.16 applications per million people | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 50.02 applications per million people | -14.0% |
| 2004 | 49.32 applications per million people | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 49.34 applications per million people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 46.45 applications per million people | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 42.73 applications per million people | -8.0% |
| 2008 | 53.69 applications per million people | +25.7% |
| 2009 | 61.96 applications per million people | +15.4% |
| 2010 | 56.9 applications per million people | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 57.62 applications per million people | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 67.98 applications per million people | +18.0% |
| 2013 | 64.07 applications per million people | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 79.31 applications per million people | +23.8% |
| 2015 | 84.17 applications per million people | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 93.02 applications per million people | +10.5% |
| 2017 | 88 applications per million people | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 78.06 applications per million people | -11.3% |
| 2019 | 76.25 applications per million people | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 74.71 applications per million people | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 68.96 applications per million people | -7.7% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 68.96 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 68.96 applications per million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 41.22 applications per million people, 1.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 77.91 applications per million people | 55.52 applications per million people | 92.73 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.98 applications per million people | 57.79 applications per million people | 80.22 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.35 applications per million people | 42.73 applications per million people | 61.96 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.54 applications per million people | 56.9 applications per million people | 93.02 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.83 applications per million people | 68.96 applications per million people | 74.71 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 28 Turkey 97.85 applications per million people compare
- 29 Poland 91.32 applications per million people compare
- 30 Iceland 91.27 applications per million people compare
- 32 Portugal 68.62 applications per million people compare
- 33 New Zealand 64.9 applications per million people compare
- 34 Latvia 55.19 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Belgium
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 103.91 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.03 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 12.20 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 396.38 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.687 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.9084 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 16,816 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0014 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Belgium?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Belgium was 68.96 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 93.02 applications per million people in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.73 applications per million people in 2007.
- How does Belgium rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Belgium ranks 31st out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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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