Annual patent applications per million people in Nigeria

Nigeria: Annual patent applications per million people was 1.92 applications per million people in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
1.92 applications per million people
Change on year
down 8.6%
World rank
106th
of 135 countries
All-time high
2.1 applications per million people
in 2019
All-time low
0.1178 applications per million people
in 1985
Years of data
10
1985–2020

Annual patent applications per million people in Nigeria, 1985–2020

00.511.521985200220201985: 0.118 applications per million people1990: 0.124 applications per million people2011: 0.373 applications per million people2012: 0.238 applications per million people2013: 0.276 applications per million people2016: 0.435 applications per million people2017: 0.499 applications per million people2018: 1.9 applications per million people2019: 2.1 applications per million people2020: 1.9 applications per million people

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

Nigeria recorded 1.92 applications per million people for annual patent applications per million people in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.6% on the previous year and up 413.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Nigeria peaked at 2.1 applications per million people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.1178 applications per million people, in 1985.

That places Nigeria 106th out of 135 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.1178 applications per million people 0.1178 applications per million people 0.1178 applications per million people 1
1990s 0.1236 applications per million people 0.1236 applications per million people 0.1236 applications per million people 1
2010s 0.826 applications per million people 0.2384 applications per million people 2.1 applications per million people 7
2020s 1.92 applications per million people 1.92 applications per million people 1.92 applications per million people 1

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 103 Bahrain 1.99 applications per million people compare
  2. 104 Ecuador 1.98 applications per million people compare
  3. 105 Cape Verde 1.94 applications per million people compare
  4. 107 Cuba 1.89 applications per million people compare
  5. 108 Pakistan 1.78 applications per million people compare
  6. 109 Paraguay 1.5 applications per million people compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More science & technology data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual patent applications per million people in Nigeria?
Annual patent applications per million people in Nigeria was 1.92 applications per million people in 2020, 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 Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 2.1 applications per million people in 2019.
What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1178 applications per million people in 1985.
How does Nigeria rank for annual patent applications per million people?
Nigeria ranks 106th out of 135 countries with data for 2020.
Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 413.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria 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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About this data

Indicator
Annual patent applications per million people
Unit
applications per million people
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
135 places, 3,804 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed