Annual patent applications per million people in Germany
Germany: Annual patent applications per million people was 478.65 applications per million people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Annual patent applications per million people in Germany, 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
Germany recorded 478.65 applications per million people for annual patent applications per million people in 2021.
That represents a change of down 5.8% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Germany peaked at 629.3 applications per million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 366.38 applications per million people, in 1980.
That places Germany 5th out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 399.3 applications per million people | 366.38 applications per million people | 414.52 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 479.09 applications per million people | 386.79 applications per million people | 609.37 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 591.49 applications per million people | 577.03 applications per million people | 629.3 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 579.25 applications per million people | 561.2 applications per million people | 594.62 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 493.41 applications per million people | 478.65 applications per million people | 508.17 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 2 Japan 1,770 applications per million people compare
- 3 China 1,010 applications per million people compare
- 4 United States 789.65 applications per million people compare
- 6 Singapore 371.13 applications per million people compare
- 7 Finland 281 applications per million people compare
- 8 North Korea 265.42 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Germany
- Scientific and technical journal articles 108,782 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 109.20 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 129.15 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 129.15 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 18,747 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 93.5% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 39,822 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 3.2% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 26,845 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 76.52 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Germany?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Germany was 478.65 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 629.3 applications per million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 366.38 applications per million people in 1980.
- How does Germany rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Germany ranks 5th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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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