Annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand
New Zealand: Annual patent applications per million people was 64.9 applications per million people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
64.9 applications per million people
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
33rd
of 135 countries
All-time high
514.51 applications per million people
in 2006
All-time low
64.9 applications per million people
in 2021
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand is 64.9 applications per million people, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 81.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand peaked at 514.51 applications per million people in 2006 and was at its lowest, 64.9 applications per million people, in 2021.
That places New Zealand 33rd out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 368.79 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 330.57 applications per million people | -10.4% |
| 1982 | 312.41 applications per million people | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 346.95 applications per million people | +11.1% |
| 1984 | 310.19 applications per million people | -10.6% |
| 1985 | 310.43 applications per million people | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 294.8 applications per million people | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 278.52 applications per million people | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 244.56 applications per million people | -12.2% |
| 1989 | 244.6 applications per million people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 240.85 applications per million people | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 281.25 applications per million people | +16.8% |
| 1992 | 291.93 applications per million people | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 346 applications per million people | +18.5% |
| 1994 | 346.41 applications per million people | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 349.54 applications per million people | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 341.64 applications per million people | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 415.73 applications per million people | +21.7% |
| 1998 | 309.57 applications per million people | -25.5% |
| 1999 | 370.26 applications per million people | +19.6% |
| 2000 | 379.24 applications per million people | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 455.61 applications per million people | +20.1% |
| 2002 | 465.75 applications per million people | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 458.13 applications per million people | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 399.02 applications per million people | -12.9% |
| 2005 | 457.92 applications per million people | +14.8% |
| 2006 | 514.51 applications per million people | +12.4% |
| 2007 | 447.94 applications per million people | -12.9% |
| 2008 | 294.85 applications per million people | -34.2% |
| 2009 | 361.41 applications per million people | +22.6% |
| 2010 | 364.31 applications per million people | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 342.38 applications per million people | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 323.27 applications per million people | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 363.34 applications per million people | +12.4% |
| 2014 | 362.23 applications per million people | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 256.87 applications per million people | -29.1% |
| 2016 | 228.04 applications per million people | -11.2% |
| 2017 | 210.65 applications per million people | -7.6% |
| 2018 | 207.53 applications per million people | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 65.19 applications per million people | -68.6% |
| 2020 | 68.61 applications per million people | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 64.9 applications per million people | -5.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 64.9 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 64.9 applications per million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.98 applications per million people, 2.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | -68.6% | 207.53 applications per million people | 65.19 applications per million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 304.18 applications per million people | 244.56 applications per million people | 368.79 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 329.32 applications per million people | 240.85 applications per million people | 415.73 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 423.44 applications per million people | 294.85 applications per million people | 514.51 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 272.38 applications per million people | 65.19 applications per million people | 364.31 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.75 applications per million people | 64.9 applications per million people | 68.61 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 30 Iceland 91.27 applications per million people compare
- 31 Belgium 68.96 applications per million people compare
- 32 Portugal 68.62 applications per million people compare
- 34 Latvia 55.19 applications per million people compare
- 35 Hong Kong 54.09 applications per million people compare
- 36 Czechia 51.5 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for New Zealand
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 130.09 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.28 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 6.78 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 24.92 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 3.37 % change on previous year (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents, gaps filled 5,684 (2024)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 5,684 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand?
- Annual patent applications per million people in New Zealand was 64.9 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 514.51 applications per million people in 2006.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.9 applications per million people in 2021.
- How does New Zealand rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- New Zealand ranks 33rd out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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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