Patent applications, residents in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Patent applications, residents was 11,592 in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
11,592
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
9th
of 135 countries
All-time high
22,050
in 2000
All-time low
11,592
in 2021
Years of data
42
1980–2021

Patent applications, residents in United Kingdom, 1980–2021

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k1980200020211980: 19.6k1981: 20.8k1982: 20.5k1983: 19.9k1984: 19.1k1985: 19.7k1986: 20.0k1987: 19.9k1988: 20.5k1989: 19.7k1990: 19.3k1991: 19.2k1992: 18.8k1993: 18.7k1994: 18.4k1995: 18.6k1996: 18.2k1997: 17.9k1998: 19.5k1999: 21.3k2000: 22.1k2001: 21.4k2002: 20.6k2003: 20.4k2004: 19.2k2005: 17.8k2006: 17.5k2007: 17.4k2008: 16.5k2009: 16.0k2010: 15.5k2011: 15.3k2012: 15.4k2013: 15.0k2014: 15.2k2015: 14.9k2016: 13.9k2017: 13.3k2018: 12.9k2019: 12.1k2020: 12.0k2021: 11.6k

Source: WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 11,592 for patent applications, residents in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 24.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, patent applications, residents in United Kingdom peaked at 22,050 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11,592, in 2021.

United Kingdom ranks 9th of 135 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.

Patent applications, residents in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Patent applications, residents in United Kingdom, 1980 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1980 19,612
1981 20,808 +6.1%
1982 20,530 -1.3%
1983 19,893 -3.1%
1984 19,093 -4.0%
1985 19,672 +3.0%
1986 20,040 +1.9%
1987 19,945 -0.5%
1988 20,536 +3.0%
1989 19,732 -3.9%
1990 19,310 -2.1%
1991 19,230 -0.4%
1992 18,848 -2.0%
1993 18,727 -0.6%
1994 18,384 -1.8%
1995 18,630 +1.3%
1996 18,184 -2.4%
1997 17,938 -1.4%
1998 19,530 +8.9%
1999 21,333 +9.2%
2000 22,050 +3.4%
2001 21,423 -2.8%
2002 20,624 -3.7%
2003 20,426 -1.0%
2004 19,178 -6.1%
2005 17,833 -7.0%
2006 17,484 -2.0%
2007 17,375 -0.6%
2008 16,523 -4.9%
2009 15,985 -3.3%
2010 15,490 -3.1%
2011 15,343 -0.9%
2012 15,370 +0.2%
2013 14,972 -2.6%
2014 15,196 +1.5%
2015 14,867 -2.2%
2016 13,876 -6.7%
2017 13,301 -4.1%
2018 12,865 -3.3%
2019 12,061 -6.2%
2020 11,990 -0.6%
2021 11,592 -3.3%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 11,592 is above the median for high income countries, which is 397.5, 29.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 11,592 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 276, 42.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 19,986 19,093 20,808 10
1990s 19,011 17,938 21,333 10
2000s 18,890 15,985 22,050 10
2010s 14,334 12,061 15,490 10
2020s 11,791 11,592 11,990 2

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 6 India 26,267 compare
  2. 7 Russia 19,569 compare
  3. 8 France 13,386 compare
  4. 10 Italy 10,281 compare
  5. 11 Iran 10,210 compare
  6. 12 Turkey 8,234 compare

See the full ranking of 147 places →

More science & technology data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is patent applications, residents in United Kingdom?
Patent applications, residents in United Kingdom was 11,592 in 2021, according to WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans.
What is the highest patent applications, residents recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 22,050 in 2000.
What is the lowest patent applications, residents recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 11,592 in 2021.
How does United Kingdom rank for patent applications, residents?
United Kingdom ranks 9th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
Is patent applications, residents rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans, published as part of Patent applications, residents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Patent applications, residents in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/patent-applications-residents/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Patent applications, residents
Source
WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
147 places, 4,224 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed

Patent applications are worldwide patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.