Annual patent applications per million people in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual patent applications per million people was 173.07 applications per million people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
173.07 applications per million people
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
17th
of 135 countries
All-time high
374.41 applications per million people
in 2000
All-time low
173.07 applications per million people
in 2021
Years of data
42
1980–2021
Annual patent applications per million people in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 173.07 applications per million people. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual patent applications per million people in United Kingdom peaked at 374.41 applications per million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 173.07 applications per million people, in 2021.
United Kingdom ranks 17th of 135 countries on this measure, 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | applications per million people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 348.26 applications per million people | — |
| 1981 | 369.37 applications per million people | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 364.56 applications per million people | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 353.13 applications per million people | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 338.4 applications per million people | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 347.87 applications per million people | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 353.56 applications per million people | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 351.13 applications per million people | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 360.73 applications per million people | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 345.71 applications per million people | -4.2% |
| 1990 | 337.31 applications per million people | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 334.87 applications per million people | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 327.33 applications per million people | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 324.45 applications per million people | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 317.7 applications per million people | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 321.1 applications per million people | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 312.62 applications per million people | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 307.6 applications per million people | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 333.92 applications per million people | +8.6% |
| 1999 | 363.53 applications per million people | +8.9% |
| 2000 | 374.41 applications per million people | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 362.37 applications per million people | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 347.38 applications per million people | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 342.44 applications per million people | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 319.7 applications per million people | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 295.24 applications per million people | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 287.35 applications per million people | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 283.34 applications per million people | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 267.33 applications per million people | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 256.68 applications per million people | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 246.79 applications per million people | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 242.54 applications per million people | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 241.25 applications per million people | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 233.43 applications per million people | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 235.16 applications per million people | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 228.42 applications per million people | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 211.5 applications per million people | -7.4% |
| 2017 | 201.64 applications per million people | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 194.08 applications per million people | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 181.02 applications per million people | -6.7% |
| 2020 | 179.65 applications per million people | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 173.07 applications per million people | -3.7% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 173.07 applications per million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.04 applications per million people, 2.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 173.07 applications per million people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 41.22 applications per million people, 4.2× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 353.27 applications per million people | 338.4 applications per million people | 369.37 applications per million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 328.04 applications per million people | 307.6 applications per million people | 363.53 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 313.62 applications per million people | 256.68 applications per million people | 374.41 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 221.58 applications per million people | 181.02 applications per million people | 246.79 applications per million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 176.36 applications per million people | 173.07 applications per million people | 179.65 applications per million people | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 14 Luxembourg 174.98 applications per million people compare
- 15 Norway 174.92 applications per million people compare
- 16 Italy 173.86 applications per million people compare
- 18 Sweden 170.03 applications per million people compare
- 19 Israel 169.88 applications per million people compare
- 20 Switzerland 147.97 applications per million people compare
More science & technology data for United Kingdom
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 121.64 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.21 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 84.10 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 348.57 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -0.9277 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -0.2704 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 97,536 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0014 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual patent applications per million people in United Kingdom?
- Annual patent applications per million people in United Kingdom was 173.07 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 374.41 applications per million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual patent applications per million people recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 173.07 applications per million people in 2021.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual patent applications per million people?
- United Kingdom ranks 17th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is annual patent applications per million people rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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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