Annual patent applications per million people in Spain
Spain: Annual patent applications per million people was 27.57 applications per million people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
27.57 applications per million people
Change on year
down 8.8%
World rank
48th
of 135 countries
All-time high
79.04 applications per million people
in 2008
All-time low
27.34 applications per million people
in 2019
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in Spain, 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
Spain recorded 27.57 applications per million people for annual patent applications per million people in 2021.
The figure is down 8.8% on the previous year and down 62.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in Spain peaked at 79.04 applications per million people in 2008 and was at its lowest, 27.34 applications per million people, in 2019.
That places Spain 48th out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Annual patent applications per million people in Spain, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 50.04 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 45.5 applications per million people | -9.1% |
| 1982 | 43.33 applications per million people | -4.8% |
| 1983 | 39.24 applications per million people | -9.4% |
| 1984 | 46.54 applications per million people | +18.6% |
| 1985 | 55.86 applications per million people | +20.0% |
| 1986 | 42.74 applications per million people | -23.5% |
| 1987 | 44.46 applications per million people | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 46.84 applications per million people | +5.4% |
| 1989 | 53.75 applications per million people | +14.7% |
| 1990 | 57.07 applications per million people | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 55.33 applications per million people | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 53.02 applications per million people | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 55 applications per million people | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 54.01 applications per million people | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 51.53 applications per million people | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 57.01 applications per million people | +10.6% |
| 1997 | 55.84 applications per million people | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 56.46 applications per million people | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 60.39 applications per million people | +7.0% |
| 2000 | 66.8 applications per million people | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 61.88 applications per million people | -7.4% |
| 2002 | 66.69 applications per million people | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 66.68 applications per million people | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 66.89 applications per million people | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 69.64 applications per million people | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 70.07 applications per million people | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 72.24 applications per million people | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 79.04 applications per million people | +9.4% |
| 2009 | 77.56 applications per million people | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 76.56 applications per million people | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 73.38 applications per million people | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 69.83 applications per million people | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 64.93 applications per million people | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 63.56 applications per million people | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 60.29 applications per million people | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 59.09 applications per million people | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 46.53 applications per million people | -21.2% |
| 2018 | 32.6 applications per million people | -29.9% |
| 2019 | 27.34 applications per million people | -16.1% |
| 2020 | 30.22 applications per million people | +10.5% |
| 2021 | 27.57 applications per million people | -8.8% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 27.57 applications per million people is below the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 46% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Spain's 27.57 applications per million people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 41.22 applications per million people, 67% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.83 applications per million people | 39.24 applications per million people | 55.86 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.57 applications per million people | 51.53 applications per million people | 60.39 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.75 applications per million people | 61.88 applications per million people | 79.04 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.41 applications per million people | 27.34 applications per million people | 76.56 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.89 applications per million people | 27.57 applications per million people | 30.22 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 45 Ukraine 29.39 applications per million people compare
- 46 South Africa 29.33 applications per million people compare
- 47 Lithuania 28.84 applications per million people compare
- 49 Slovakia 26.8 applications per million people compare
- 50 Malaysia 25.76 applications per million people compare
- 51 Bulgaria 25.36 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for Spain
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 130.26 (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 62.41 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 122.45 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 60,304 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0012 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in Spain?
- Annual patent applications per million people in Spain was 27.57 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 79.04 applications per million people in 2008.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.34 applications per million people in 2019.
- How does Spain rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- Spain ranks 48th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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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