Annual patent applications per million people in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Annual patent applications per million people was 25.36 applications per million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Annual patent applications per million people in Bulgaria, 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 Bulgaria is 25.36 applications per million people, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 30.5% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Bulgaria peaked at 428.87 applications per million people in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0.1116 applications per million people, in 1986.
Bulgaria ranks 51st of 135 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 205.56 applications per million people | 0.1116 applications per million people | 428.87 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.3 applications per million people | 22.71 applications per million people | 48.89 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.01 applications per million people | 27.96 applications per million people | 36.88 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.03 applications per million people | 26.82 applications per million people | 40.09 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.92 applications per million people | 25.36 applications per million people | 36.48 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 48 Spain 27.57 applications per million people compare
- 49 Slovakia 26.8 applications per million people compare
- 50 Malaysia 25.76 applications per million people compare
- 52 Moldova 24.66 applications per million people compare
- 53 Georgia 24.27 applications per million people compare
- 54 North Macedonia 22.86 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Bulgaria
- Scientific and technical journal articles 4,998 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 7.98 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 118.07 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 118.07 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 6 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 82.4% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 165 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 0.8% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 1,623 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 5.18 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Bulgaria?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Bulgaria was 25.36 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 428.87 applications per million people in 1984.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1116 applications per million people in 1986.
- How does Bulgaria rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Bulgaria ranks 51st out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).