Annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Annual patent applications per million people was 2.96 applications per million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
2.96 applications per million people
Change on year
up 24.4%
World rank
98th
of 135 countries
All-time high
19.67 applications per million people
in 1991
All-time low
1.61 applications per million people
in 2018
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica is 2.96 applications per million people, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 24.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica peaked at 19.67 applications per million people in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.61 applications per million people, in 2018.
Costa Rica ranks 98th 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.
Annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 12.55 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 16.69 applications per million people | +33.0% |
| 1982 | 15.45 applications per million people | -7.4% |
| 1983 | 6.17 applications per million people | -60.1% |
| 1984 | 9 applications per million people | +45.9% |
| 1985 | 5.84 applications per million people | -35.1% |
| 1986 | 3.9 applications per million people | -33.1% |
| 1987 | 3.46 applications per million people | -11.5% |
| 1988 | 3.37 applications per million people | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 4.27 applications per million people | +26.8% |
| 1990 | 4.81 applications per million people | +12.5% |
| 1991 | 19.67 applications per million people | +309.4% |
| 1992 | 5.48 applications per million people | -72.1% |
| 1993 | 8.02 applications per million people | +46.3% |
| 1994 | 9.27 applications per million people | +15.6% |
| 1995 | 7.07 applications per million people | -23.7% |
| 1996 | 6.36 applications per million people | -10.1% |
| 1997 | 6.75 applications per million people | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 5.82 applications per million people | -13.9% |
| 1999 | 8.03 applications per million people | +38.0% |
| 2000 | 7.11 applications per million people | -11.4% |
| 2001 | 5.24 applications per million people | -26.3% |
| 2002 | 5.64 applications per million people | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 7.97 applications per million people | +41.3% |
| 2004 | 6.19 applications per million people | -22.4% |
| 2005 | 3.99 applications per million people | -35.6% |
| 2006 | 5.09 applications per million people | +27.6% |
| 2007 | 4.57 applications per million people | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 5.41 applications per million people | +18.4% |
| 2009 | 3.56 applications per million people | -34.2% |
| 2010 | 1.76 applications per million people | -50.6% |
| 2011 | 2.82 applications per million people | +60.6% |
| 2012 | 1.93 applications per million people | -31.6% |
| 2013 | 3.82 applications per million people | +97.8% |
| 2014 | 3.15 applications per million people | -17.6% |
| 2015 | 3.53 applications per million people | +12.1% |
| 2016 | 1.85 applications per million people | -47.6% |
| 2017 | 3.87 applications per million people | +109.1% |
| 2018 | 1.61 applications per million people | -58.3% |
| 2019 | 3.2 applications per million people | +98.3% |
| 2020 | 2.38 applications per million people | -25.5% |
| 2021 | 2.96 applications per million people | +24.4% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 2.96 applications per million people is below the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 5% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 2.96 applications per million people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.96 applications per million people, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +309.4% | 4.81 applications per million people | 19.67 applications per million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.07 applications per million people | 3.37 applications per million people | 16.69 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.13 applications per million people | 4.81 applications per million people | 19.67 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.48 applications per million people | 3.56 applications per million people | 7.97 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.75 applications per million people | 1.61 applications per million people | 3.87 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.67 applications per million people | 2.38 applications per million people | 2.96 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 95 Venezuela 3.14 applications per million people compare
- 96 Namibia 3.02 applications per million people compare
- 97 Kenya 3.01 applications per million people compare
- 99 Macao 2.93 applications per million people compare
- 100 Peru 2.84 applications per million people compare
- 101 Libya 2.41 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Costa Rica
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 136.03 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.36 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 6.98 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 133.51 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 2.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 438 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 438 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Costa Rica was 2.96 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 19.67 applications per million people in 1991.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.61 applications per million people in 2018.
- How does Costa Rica rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Costa Rica ranks 98th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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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