Statizoid

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year (1977-2017) by country

Countries reporting
60
Highest
36,903 Number
United States
Lowest
6.63 Number
Malta
Median
385.44 Number
Years covered
40
1978–2017
Data points
2,224

What the numbers show

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year (1977-2017) is currently reported for 60 countries. The highest value is 36,903 Number in United States; the lowest is 6.63 Number in Malta.

The median across all reporting countries is 385.44 Number, and the mean is 3,096 Number.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 5,566.

Over the past decade 42 countries rose and 18 fell. The largest increase was in Türkiye (up 308.5%), and the largest decrease in Croatia (down 36.1%).

Patent applications to the EPO by priority year: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 United States 36,903 Number 2014 up 2.4% rising
1 United States 36,903 Number 2014 up 2.4% rising
3 Japan 21,380 Number 2014 down 8.1% rising
4 Germany 18,882 Number 2017 down 22.6% rising
5 France 9,503 Number 2017 up 9.9% rising
6 South Korea 6,423 Number 2014 up 42.7% volatile
6 South Korea 6,423 Number 2014 up 42.7% volatile
8 United Kingdom 5,437 Number 2017 down 3.4% rising
8 United Kingdom 5,437 Number 2017 down 3.4% rising
10 Italy 4,148 Number 2017 down 15.8% rising
11 Netherlands 3,478 Number 2017 up 3.9% rising
11 Netherlands 3,478 Number 2017 up 3.9% rising
13 Switzerland 3,245 Number 2014 up 5.5% rising
14 Sweden 2,833 Number 2017 down 0.5% rising
15 Canada 2,255 Number 2014 down 2.2% volatile
16 Austria 2,030 Number 2017 up 17.9% volatile
17 Belgium 1,655 Number 2017 up 5.8% rising
18 Spain 1,655 Number 2017 up 19.2% volatile
19 Denmark 1,418 Number 2017 up 8.2% volatile
20 Israel 1,332 Number 2014 up 7.7% volatile
21 India 1,319 Number 2014 up 151.5% volatile
22 Finland 1,297 Number 2017 up 1.6% volatile
23 Taiwan 1,276 Number 2014 up 107.3% volatile
24 Australia 840.84 Number 2014 down 27.3% rising
25 Poland 686.64 Number 2017 up 240.3% volatile
25 Poland 686.64 Number 2017 up 240.3% volatile
27 Norway 488.97 Number 2014 up 23.0% volatile
28 Türkiye 483.68 Number 2014 up 308.5% volatile
29 Russia 399.42 Number 2014 up 63.9% rising
29 Russia 399.42 Number 2014 up 63.9% rising
31 Ireland 371.46 Number 2017 up 12.8% volatile
32 Czechia 357.38 Number 2017 up 88.8% volatile
33 Singapore 310.41 Number 2014 up 14.6% volatile
34 Brazil 261.13 Number 2014 up 33.2% volatile
35 New Zealand 224.46 Number 2013 up 2.0% volatile
36 Hungary 196.77 Number 2017 up 3.0% rising
37 Portugal 142.23 Number 2017 up 14.9% volatile
38 South Africa 132.26 Number 2014 down 10.9% rising
39 Slovenia 114.25 Number 2017 down 4.9% volatile
39 Slovenia 114.25 Number 2017 down 4.9% volatile
41 Romania 99.57 Number 2017 up 205.7% volatile
42 Greece 90.25 Number 2017 down 13.0% volatile
43 Hong Kong 75.07 Number 2014 up 44.4% volatile
44 Mexico 72.45 Number 2014 up 21.6% volatile
45 Liechtenstein 59.71 Number 2014 up 150.8% rising
46 Luxembourg 55.49 Number 2017 down 24.8% rising
47 Slovakia 55.14 Number 2017 up 41.8% volatile
47 Slovakia 55.14 Number 2017 up 41.8% volatile
49 Estonia 36.31 Number 2017 up 28.7% volatile
49 Estonia 36.31 Number 2017 up 28.7% volatile
51 Bulgaria 29.33 Number 2017 up 141.0% volatile
52 Iceland 28.4 Number 2013 down 7.9% volatile
53 Latvia 22.26 Number 2017 up 42.1% volatile
53 Latvia 22.26 Number 2017 up 42.1% volatile
55 Lithuania 21.57 Number 2017 up 120.1% volatile
55 Lithuania 21.57 Number 2017 up 120.1% volatile
57 Croatia 19.94 Number 2017 down 36.1% rising
57 Croatia 19.94 Number 2017 down 36.1% rising
59 Cyprus 9.08 Number 2017 down 12.1% volatile
60 Malta 6.63 Number 2017 down 2.9% rising

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Patent applications to the EPO by priority year by country. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 03 October 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/patent-applications-to-the-epo-by-priority-year-1977-2017/

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About this data

Indicator
Patent applications to the EPO by priority year (1977-2017)
Unit
Number
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
66 places, 2,224 data points, 1978–2017
Last refreshed