Annual patent applications per million people in Italy
Italy: Annual patent applications per million people was 173.86 applications per million people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Annual patent applications per million people in Italy, 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 Italy is 173.86 applications per million people, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Italy peaked at 173.86 applications per million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 35.34 applications per million people, in 1985.
That places Italy 16th out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62.87 applications per million people | 35.34 applications per million people | 112.86 applications per million people | 3 |
| 1990s | 127.4 applications per million people | 110.36 applications per million people | 138.49 applications per million people | 5 |
| 2000s | 147.22 applications per million people | 138.33 applications per million people | 157.51 applications per million people | 4 |
| 2010s | 145.57 applications per million people | 137.74 applications per million people | 154.51 applications per million people | 9 |
| 2020s | 171.56 applications per million people | 169.27 applications per million people | 173.86 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More science & technology data for Italy
- Scientific and technical journal articles 82,771 (2023)
- Mobile phone subscriptions 78.67 million (2024)
- Mobile phone subscriptions per 100 people 132.57 per 100 people (2024)
- Mobile and landline phone subscriptions per 100 people 132.57 per 100 people (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 797 (2021)
- Share of the population using the Internet 89.2% (2024)
- Patent applications, residents 10,281 (2021)
- Research and development expenditure 1.4% (2023)
- Human resources in science and technology (HRST) by category and NUTS 11,460 Thousand persons (2025)
- Number of people using the Internet 44.71 million users (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Italy?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Italy was 173.86 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 173.86 applications per million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.34 applications per million people in 1985.
- How does Italy rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Italy ranks 16th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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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