Annual patent applications per million people in China
China: Annual patent applications per million people was 1,010 applications per million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
1,010 applications per million people
Change on year
up 6.0%
World rank
3rd
of 135 countries
All-time high
1,010 applications per million people
in 2021
All-time low
3.28 applications per million people
in 1986
Years of data
37
1985–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in China, 1985–2021
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
In 2021, annual patent applications per million people in China stood at 1,010 applications per million people. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.0% on the previous year and up 226.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in China peaked at 1,010 applications per million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.28 applications per million people, in 1986.
China ranks 3rd of 135 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual patent applications per million people in China, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3.87 applications per million people | — |
| 1986 | 3.28 applications per million people | -15.3% |
| 1987 | 3.67 applications per million people | +12.0% |
| 1988 | 4.34 applications per million people | +18.3% |
| 1989 | 4.25 applications per million people | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 5.14 applications per million people | +21.0% |
| 1991 | 6.41 applications per million people | +24.7% |
| 1992 | 8.6 applications per million people | +34.3% |
| 1993 | 10.25 applications per million people | +19.2% |
| 1994 | 9.39 applications per million people | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 8.31 applications per million people | -11.5% |
| 1996 | 9.55 applications per million people | +14.9% |
| 1997 | 10.3 applications per million people | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 11.07 applications per million people | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 12.47 applications per million people | +12.7% |
| 2000 | 20.07 applications per million people | +60.9% |
| 2001 | 23.62 applications per million people | +17.7% |
| 2002 | 31.09 applications per million people | +31.6% |
| 2003 | 44.06 applications per million people | +41.7% |
| 2004 | 50.76 applications per million people | +15.2% |
| 2005 | 71.71 applications per million people | +41.3% |
| 2006 | 93.3 applications per million people | +30.1% |
| 2007 | 116.14 applications per million people | +24.5% |
| 2008 | 146.89 applications per million people | +26.5% |
| 2009 | 172.09 applications per million people | +17.2% |
| 2010 | 219.08 applications per million people | +27.3% |
| 2011 | 309.16 applications per million people | +41.1% |
| 2012 | 395.3 applications per million people | +27.9% |
| 2013 | 517.1 applications per million people | +30.8% |
| 2014 | 583.98 applications per million people | +12.9% |
| 2015 | 701.7 applications per million people | +20.2% |
| 2016 | 868.27 applications per million people | +23.7% |
| 2017 | 892.2 applications per million people | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 993.62 applications per million people | +11.4% |
| 2019 | 883.38 applications per million people | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 953.03 applications per million people | +7.9% |
| 2021 | 1,010 applications per million people | +6.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1,010 applications per million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.24 applications per million people, 109.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- China's 1,010 applications per million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.98 applications per million people, 34.8× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.88 applications per million people | 3.28 applications per million people | 4.34 applications per million people | 5 |
| 1990s | 9.15 applications per million people | 5.14 applications per million people | 12.47 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.97 applications per million people | 20.07 applications per million people | 172.09 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 636.38 applications per million people | 219.08 applications per million people | 993.62 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 981.57 applications per million people | 953.03 applications per million people | 1,010 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 South Korea 3,598 applications per million people compare
- 2 Japan 1,770 applications per million people compare
- 4 United States 789.65 applications per million people compare
- 5 Germany 478.65 applications per million people compare
- 6 Singapore 371.13 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for China
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 131.75 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.33 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 1.87 billion (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 194.33 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 2.73 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 2.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 932,712 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0007 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in China?
- Annual patent applications per million people in China was 1,010 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 1,010 applications per million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.28 applications per million people in 1986.
- How does China rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- China ranks 3rd out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 226.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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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