Annual patent applications per million people in Japan
Japan: Annual patent applications per million people was 1,770 applications per million people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
1,770 applications per million people
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
2nd
of 135 countries
All-time high
3,054 applications per million people
in 2000
All-time low
1,419 applications per million people
in 1980
Years of data
40
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Japan, 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 Japan is 1,770 applications per million people, measured in 2021.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 21.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Japan peaked at 3,054 applications per million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1,419 applications per million people, in 1980.
Japan ranks 2nd of 135 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Annual patent applications per million people in Japan, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1,419 applications per million people | — |
| 1983 | 1,909 applications per million people | +34.5% |
| 1984 | 2,134 applications per million people | +11.8% |
| 1985 | 2,271 applications per million people | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 2,389 applications per million people | +5.2% |
| 1987 | 2,548 applications per million people | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 2,520 applications per million people | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 2,580 applications per million people | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 2,699 applications per million people | +4.6% |
| 1991 | 2,710 applications per million people | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 2,717 applications per million people | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 2,662 applications per million people | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 2,556 applications per million people | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 2,667 applications per million people | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 2,704 applications per million people | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 2,783 applications per million people | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 2,843 applications per million people | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 2,844 applications per million people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 3,054 applications per million people | +7.4% |
| 2001 | 3,042 applications per million people | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 2,899 applications per million people | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 2,804 applications per million people | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 2,884 applications per million people | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 2,880 applications per million people | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 2,714 applications per million people | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 2,605 applications per million people | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 2,578 applications per million people | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 2,306 applications per million people | -10.5% |
| 2010 | 2,265 applications per million people | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 2,250 applications per million people | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 2,249 applications per million people | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 2,132 applications per million people | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 2,090 applications per million people | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 2,036 applications per million people | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 2,048 applications per million people | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 2,050 applications per million people | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 2,000 applications per million people | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 1,938 applications per million people | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 1,801 applications per million people | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 1,770 applications per million people | -1.7% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1,770 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 29.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1,770 applications per million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.98 applications per million people, 61.1× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications per million people in Japan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +34.5% | 1,419 applications per million people | 1,909 applications per million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,221 applications per million people | 1,419 applications per million people | 2,580 applications per million people | 8 |
| 1990s | 2,719 applications per million people | 2,556 applications per million people | 2,844 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,777 applications per million people | 2,306 applications per million people | 3,054 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,106 applications per million people | 1,938 applications per million people | 2,265 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,785 applications per million people | 1,770 applications per million people | 1,801 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 1 South Korea 3,598 applications per million people compare
- 3 China 1,010 applications per million people compare
- 4 United States 789.65 applications per million people compare
- 5 Germany 478.65 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Japan
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 178.43 (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.78 units per person (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 221.92 million (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 608.71 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 5.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 5.3 % change on previous year (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 96,543 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0008 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Japan?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Japan was 1,770 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 3,054 applications per million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,419 applications per million people in 1980.
- How does Japan rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Japan ranks 2nd out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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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