Annual patent applications per million people in Singapore
Singapore: Annual patent applications per million people was 371.13 applications per million people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
371.13 applications per million people
Change on year
up 18.7%
World rank
6th
of 135 countries
All-time high
371.13 applications per million people
in 2021
All-time low
0.8285 applications per million people
in 1980
Years of data
32
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Singapore, 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
In 2021, annual patent applications per million people in Singapore stood at 371.13 applications per million people. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
That represents a change of up 18.7% on the previous year and up 82.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Singapore peaked at 371.13 applications per million people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.8285 applications per million people, in 1980.
Singapore ranks 6th of 135 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual patent applications per million people in Singapore, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.8285 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 1.58 applications per million people | +90.6% |
| 1983 | 1.86 applications per million people | +18.1% |
| 1984 | 1.46 applications per million people | -21.5% |
| 1985 | 1.46 applications per million people | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 41.14 applications per million people | +2714.0% |
| 1996 | 61.02 applications per million people | +48.3% |
| 1997 | 75.87 applications per million people | +24.3% |
| 1998 | 79.19 applications per million people | +4.4% |
| 1999 | 94.47 applications per million people | +19.3% |
| 2000 | 128.11 applications per million people | +35.6% |
| 2001 | 126.63 applications per million people | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 149.43 applications per million people | +18.0% |
| 2003 | 152.13 applications per million people | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 153.84 applications per million people | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 133.39 applications per million people | -13.3% |
| 2006 | 142.23 applications per million people | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 151.68 applications per million people | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 163.86 applications per million people | +8.0% |
| 2009 | 150.37 applications per million people | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 176.29 applications per million people | +17.2% |
| 2011 | 203.72 applications per million people | +15.6% |
| 2012 | 203.49 applications per million people | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 211.7 applications per million people | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 238.22 applications per million people | +12.5% |
| 2015 | 265.4 applications per million people | +11.4% |
| 2016 | 285.52 applications per million people | +7.6% |
| 2017 | 286.69 applications per million people | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 279.32 applications per million people | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 302.79 applications per million people | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 312.71 applications per million people | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 371.13 applications per million people | +18.7% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 371.13 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 6.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 371.13 applications per million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.98 applications per million people, 12.8× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual patent applications per million people in Singapore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +2714.0% | 1.46 applications per million people | 41.14 applications per million people |
| 1981 | +90.6% | 0.8285 applications per million people | 1.58 applications per million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.44 applications per million people | 0.8285 applications per million people | 1.86 applications per million people | 5 |
| 1990s | 70.34 applications per million people | 41.14 applications per million people | 94.47 applications per million people | 5 |
| 2000s | 145.17 applications per million people | 126.63 applications per million people | 163.86 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 245.31 applications per million people | 176.29 applications per million people | 302.79 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 341.92 applications per million people | 312.71 applications per million people | 371.13 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 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
- 7 Finland 281 applications per million people compare
- 8 North Korea 265.42 applications per million people compare
- 9 Barbados 258.73 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Singapore
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 170.78 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.65 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 9.96 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 13,965 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -0.6582 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 11,894 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.002 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Singapore?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Singapore was 371.13 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 371.13 applications per million people in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8285 applications per million people in 1980.
- How does Singapore rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Singapore ranks 6th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 82.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Singapore 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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