Annual patent applications per million people in Kenya
Kenya: Annual patent applications per million people was 3.01 applications per million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
3.01 applications per million people
Change on year
down 54.0%
World rank
97th
of 135 countries
All-time high
6.53 applications per million people
in 2020
All-time low
0.0468 applications per million people
in 1988
Years of data
27
1988–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Kenya, 1988–2021
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
In 2021, annual patent applications per million people in Kenya stood at 3.01 applications per million people.
That represents a change of down 54.0% on the previous year and down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Kenya peaked at 6.53 applications per million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0468 applications per million people, in 1988.
Kenya ranks 97th of 135 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual patent applications per million people in Kenya, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 0.0468 applications per million people | — |
| 1991 | 0.3383 applications per million people | +622.5% |
| 1993 | 0.5574 applications per million people | +64.8% |
| 1996 | 0.5486 applications per million people | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 0.7829 applications per million people | +42.7% |
| 1998 | 0.9346 applications per million people | +19.4% |
| 1999 | 0.8408 applications per million people | -10.0% |
| 2002 | 0.7049 applications per million people | -16.2% |
| 2003 | 0.6537 applications per million people | -7.3% |
| 2004 | 0.893 applications per million people | +36.6% |
| 2005 | 0.9498 applications per million people | +6.4% |
| 2006 | 1.11 applications per million people | +17.0% |
| 2007 | 1.08 applications per million people | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 1.61 applications per million people | +49.1% |
| 2009 | 1.19 applications per million people | -26.1% |
| 2010 | 1.85 applications per million people | +55.8% |
| 2011 | 3.16 applications per million people | +70.6% |
| 2012 | 2.8 applications per million people | -11.2% |
| 2013 | 2.82 applications per million people | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 2.87 applications per million people | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 2.91 applications per million people | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 2.99 applications per million people | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 2.74 applications per million people | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 4.86 applications per million people | +77.1% |
| 2019 | 5.74 applications per million people | +18.1% |
| 2020 | 6.53 applications per million people | +13.7% |
| 2021 | 3.01 applications per million people | -54.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.01 applications per million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.54 applications per million people, 1.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.01 applications per million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.9972 applications per million people, 3.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications per million people in Kenya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +622.5% | 0.0468 applications per million people | 0.3383 applications per million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0468 applications per million people | 0.0468 applications per million people | 0.0468 applications per million people | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.6671 applications per million people | 0.3383 applications per million people | 0.9346 applications per million people | 6 |
| 2000s | 1.02 applications per million people | 0.6537 applications per million people | 1.61 applications per million people | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.27 applications per million people | 1.85 applications per million people | 5.74 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.77 applications per million people | 3.01 applications per million people | 6.53 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 94 Sudan 3.27 applications per million people compare
- 95 Venezuela 3.14 applications per million people compare
- 96 Namibia 3.02 applications per million people compare
- 98 Costa Rica 2.96 applications per million people compare
- 99 Macao 2.93 applications per million people compare
- 100 Peru 2.84 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Kenya
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 126.48 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.26 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 71.38 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 114.91 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 4.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 6.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 2,079 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Kenya?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Kenya was 3.01 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 6.53 applications per million people in 2020.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0468 applications per million people in 1988.
- How does Kenya rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Kenya ranks 97th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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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