Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications in South Africa

South Africa: Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications was 60.67 Patents in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
60.67 Patents
Change on year
down 15.3%
World rank
33rd
of 88 countries
All-time high
131.5 Patents
in 2001
All-time low
7 Patents
in 1978
Years of data
46
1978–2023

Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications in South Africa, 1978–2023

0255075100125197820002023

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Patents.

Analysis

In 2023, patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications in South Africa stood at 60.67 Patents.

The figure is down 15.3% on the previous year and down 40.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications in South Africa peaked at 131.5 Patents in 2001 and was at its lowest, 7 Patents, in 1978.

South Africa ranks 33rd of 88 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 17 Patents 7 Patents 27 Patents 2
1980s 61.94 Patents 32 Patents 84 Patents 10
1990s 75.71 Patents 44.67 Patents 111 Patents 10
2000s 113.12 Patents 99 Patents 131.5 Patents 10
2010s 97.87 Patents 86.75 Patents 113.67 Patents 10
2020s 71.46 Patents 60.67 Patents 78 Patents 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 31 New Zealand 102.5 Patents compare
  2. 32 Hungary 81.37 Patents compare
  3. 34 Thailand 56.5 Patents compare
  4. 35 United Arab Emirates 49 Patents compare
  5. 36 Cyprus 44 Patents compare

See the full ranking of 104 places →

More science & technology data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications in South Africa?
Patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications in South Africa was 60.67 Patents in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 131.5 Patents in 2001.
What is the lowest patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 7 Patents in 1978.
How does South Africa rank for patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications?
South Africa ranks 33rd out of 88 countries with data for 2023.
Is patents in oecd selected technologies — patent applications rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/patents-in-oecd-selected-technologies-patent-applications/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/patents-in-oecd-selected-technologies-patent-applications/south-africa/">Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Patents in OECD selected technologies — Patent applications
Unit
Patents
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
104 places, 4,784 data points, 1978–2023
Last refreshed

Patent counts by technology (including total patents, estimated total patents for latest years): EPO, USPTO, PCT and Patent Families indicators are presented for selected technology domains such as ICT, Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology as well as environment-related and health-related technologies.