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
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.
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
- Scientific and technical journal articles 16,816 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 12.20 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 103.91 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 103.91 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 415 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 95.8% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 799 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 3.3% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 3,883 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 10.74 million users (2021)
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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