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.
Annual patent applications per million people in Italy, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 112.86 applications per million people | — |
| 1985 | 35.34 applications per million people | -68.7% |
| 1988 | 40.42 applications per million people | +14.4% |
| 1992 | 133.25 applications per million people | +229.6% |
| 1993 | 131.84 applications per million people | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 138.49 applications per million people | +5.0% |
| 1996 | 123.06 applications per million people | -11.1% |
| 1999 | 110.36 applications per million people | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 138.33 applications per million people | +25.4% |
| 2007 | 157.51 applications per million people | +13.9% |
| 2008 | 145.04 applications per million people | -7.9% |
| 2009 | 148 applications per million people | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 148.4 applications per million people | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 146.5 applications per million people | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 140.2 applications per million people | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 137.74 applications per million people | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 142.59 applications per million people | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 147.18 applications per million people | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 144.04 applications per million people | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 148.99 applications per million people | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 154.51 applications per million people | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 169.27 applications per million people | +9.5% |
| 2021 | 173.86 applications per million people | +2.7% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 173.86 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 2.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Italy's 173.86 applications per million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 41.22 applications per million people, 4.2× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications per million people in Italy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +229.6% | 40.42 applications per million people | 133.25 applications per million people |
| 1985 | -68.7% | 112.86 applications per million people | 35.34 applications per million people |
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
- 13 Denmark 186.11 applications per million people compare
- 14 Luxembourg 174.98 applications per million people compare
- 15 Norway 174.92 applications per million people compare
- 17 United Kingdom 173.07 applications per million people compare
- 18 Sweden 170.03 applications per million people compare
- 19 Israel 169.88 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Italy
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 132.57 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.33 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 78.67 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 265.33 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.5331 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.2689 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 82,771 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0014 units per person (2023)
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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