Annual patent applications per million people in Denmark
Denmark: Annual patent applications per million people was 186.11 applications per million people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
186.11 applications per million people
Change on year
down 13.9%
World rank
13th
of 135 countries
All-time high
347.3 applications per million people
in 2004
All-time low
167.39 applications per million people
in 1985
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Denmark, 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
Denmark recorded 186.11 applications per million people for annual patent applications per million people in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.9% on the previous year and down 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Denmark peaked at 347.3 applications per million people in 2004 and was at its lowest, 167.39 applications per million people, in 1985.
Denmark ranks 13th of 135 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Annual patent applications per million people in Denmark, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 188.17 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 211.85 applications per million people | +12.6% |
| 1982 | 213.96 applications per million people | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 228.18 applications per million people | +6.6% |
| 1984 | 188.98 applications per million people | -17.2% |
| 1985 | 167.39 applications per million people | -11.4% |
| 1986 | 187.09 applications per million people | +11.8% |
| 1987 | 196.41 applications per million people | +5.0% |
| 1988 | 233.35 applications per million people | +18.8% |
| 1989 | 218.21 applications per million people | -6.5% |
| 1990 | 236.92 applications per million people | +8.6% |
| 1991 | 205.85 applications per million people | -13.1% |
| 1992 | 232.82 applications per million people | +13.1% |
| 1993 | 223.37 applications per million people | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 244.71 applications per million people | +9.6% |
| 1995 | 235.79 applications per million people | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 248.71 applications per million people | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 249.57 applications per million people | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 290.9 applications per million people | +16.6% |
| 1999 | 311.17 applications per million people | +7.0% |
| 2000 | 323.99 applications per million people | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 327.87 applications per million people | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 337.62 applications per million people | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 328.72 applications per million people | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 347.3 applications per million people | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 305.94 applications per million people | -11.9% |
| 2006 | 276.43 applications per million people | -9.6% |
| 2007 | 303.95 applications per million people | +10.0% |
| 2008 | 297.44 applications per million people | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 274.85 applications per million people | -7.6% |
| 2010 | 293.1 applications per million people | +6.6% |
| 2011 | 282.56 applications per million people | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 251.45 applications per million people | -11.0% |
| 2013 | 238.83 applications per million people | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 244 applications per million people | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 257.24 applications per million people | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 270.95 applications per million people | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 258.46 applications per million people | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 217.82 applications per million people | -15.7% |
| 2019 | 232.35 applications per million people | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 216.24 applications per million people | -6.9% |
| 2021 | 186.11 applications per million people | -13.9% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 186.11 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 3.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 186.11 applications per million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 41.22 applications per million people, 4.5× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 203.36 applications per million people | 167.39 applications per million people | 233.35 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 247.98 applications per million people | 205.85 applications per million people | 311.17 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 312.41 applications per million people | 274.85 applications per million people | 347.3 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 254.67 applications per million people | 217.82 applications per million people | 293.1 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 201.18 applications per million people | 186.11 applications per million people | 216.24 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 10 Austria 209.03 applications per million people compare
- 11 San Marino 204.37 applications per million people compare
- 12 France 197.31 applications per million people compare
- 14 Luxembourg 174.98 applications per million people compare
- 15 Norway 174.92 applications per million people compare
- 16 Italy 173.86 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Denmark
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 126.69 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.27 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 7.57 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 188.43 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -0.0237 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.4681 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 15,603 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0026 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Denmark?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Denmark was 186.11 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 347.3 applications per million people in 2004.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 167.39 applications per million people in 1985.
- How does Denmark rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Denmark ranks 13th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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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