Patents - technology diffusion by country
Patent statistics and indicators are suitable for tracking innovation in environment-related technologies. They allow the assessment of countries' innovation performance as well as the design of governments' environmental and innovation policies. This dataset presents data on patent applications by patent office....
Countries reporting
116
Highest
1.77 million Patents
China
Lowest
1 Patents
Zimbabwe
Median
54.5 Patents
Years covered
34
1990–2023
Data points
3,266
What the numbers show
Patents - technology diffusion is currently reported for 116 countries. The highest value is 1.77 million Patents in China; the lowest is 1 Patents in Zimbabwe.
The median across all reporting countries is 54.5 Patents, and the mean is 22,850 Patents.
Over the past decade 30 countries rose and 77 fell. The largest increase was in Luxembourg (up 1,420.4%), and the largest decrease in Guatemala (down 99.6%).
Patents - technology diffusion: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1.77 million Patents | 2023 | up 132.8% | volatile |
| 1 | Poland | 3,864 Patents | 2023 | down 63.3% | rising |
| 2 | United States | 370,325 Patents | 2023 | down 11.4% | rising |
| 2 | Netherlands | 2,843 Patents | 2023 | up 29.8% | rising |
| 3 | Japan | 251,752 Patents | 2023 | down 20.6% | falling |
| 3 | Türkiye | 1,760 Patents | 2023 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 3 | Croatia | 188 Patents | 2023 | down 92.0% | volatile |
| 4 | Taiwan | 55,572 Patents | 2023 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 4 | Slovenia | 162 Patents | 2023 | down 92.8% | volatile |
| 4 | Moldova | 96 Patents | 2023 | down 69.0% | flat |
| 5 | Germany | 52,279 Patents | 2023 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 5 | Lithuania | 80 Patents | 2023 | down 89.0% | volatile |
| 5 | Madagascar | 1 Patents | 2022 | unchanged | falling |
| 6 | Australia | 37,316 Patents | 2023 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 6 | Viet Nam | 68 Patents | 2023 | up 655.6% | volatile |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 14,019 Patents | 2023 | down 14.5% | falling |
| 7 | Latvia | 41 Patents | 2023 | down 81.4% | volatile |
| 8 | France | 13,659 Patents | 2023 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 8 | Estonia | 32 Patents | 2023 | down 15.8% | volatile |
| 9 | Israel | 13,148 Patents | 2023 | up 96.8% | rising |
| 9 | Syrian Arab Republic | 2 Patents | 2021 | unchanged | volatile |
| 10 | India | 7,330 Patents | 2023 | up 22.9% | volatile |
| 11 | Canada | 6,523 Patents | 2023 | down 85.7% | rising |
| 12 | Italy | 6,517 Patents | 2023 | down 23.4% | flat |
| 13 | South Africa | 4,592 Patents | 2023 | down 35.0% | falling |
| 14 | Argentina | 4,267 Patents | 2023 | down 25.1% | rising |
| 15 | Chile | 3,884 Patents | 2023 | up 6.8% | volatile |
| 16 | Mexico | 3,505 Patents | 2023 | down 80.8% | rising |
| 17 | Luxembourg | 2,752 Patents | 2023 | up 1,420.4% | volatile |
| 18 | Colombia | 2,577 Patents | 2023 | up 4.6% | volatile |
| 19 | Spain | 2,098 Patents | 2023 | down 86.4% | falling |
| 20 | Sweden | 1,721 Patents | 2023 | down 3.5% | falling |
| 21 | Brazil | 1,520 Patents | 2023 | down 95.4% | rising |
| 22 | Finland | 1,397 Patents | 2023 | down 1.6% | volatile |
| 23 | Norway | 1,228 Patents | 2023 | down 42.4% | volatile |
| 24 | Austria | 1,187 Patents | 2023 | down 32.2% | volatile |
| 25 | Switzerland | 1,157 Patents | 2023 | down 30.2% | falling |
| 26 | Denmark | 1,152 Patents | 2023 | down 78.0% | falling |
| 27 | Belgium | 1,076 Patents | 2023 | up 37.1% | rising |
| 28 | Morocco | 923 Patents | 2023 | down 35.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Greece | 881 Patents | 2023 | up 83.2% | volatile |
| 30 | Peru | 879 Patents | 2023 | down 43.3% | rising |
| 31 | Russia | 750 Patents | 2023 | down 98.4% | volatile |
| 32 | Saudi Arabia | 670 Patents | 2023 | up 222.1% | volatile |
| 33 | Singapore | 648 Patents | 2023 | down 93.8% | volatile |
| 34 | Romania | 550 Patents | 2023 | down 32.5% | falling |
| 35 | Ecuador | 534 Patents | 2023 | down 20.4% | volatile |
| 36 | Hungary | 474 Patents | 2023 | down 90.6% | falling |
| 37 | Portugal | 468 Patents | 2023 | down 82.3% | falling |
| 38 | Czechia | 435 Patents | 2023 | down 53.2% | volatile |
| 39 | Costa Rica | 408 Patents | 2023 | down 46.7% | volatile |
| 40 | Dominican Republic | 365 Patents | 2023 | up 8.0% | volatile |
| 41 | New Zealand | 188 Patents | 2023 | down 96.1% | falling |
| 42 | Bulgaria | 184 Patents | 2023 | up 1.7% | volatile |
| 43 | Serbia | 150 Patents | 2023 | down 92.9% | volatile |
| 44 | Malaysia | 143 Patents | 2023 | down 94.1% | falling |
| 45 | Ireland | 136 Patents | 2023 | down 35.5% | volatile |
| 46 | Philippines | 113 Patents | 2023 | down 85.7% | volatile |
| 47 | Ukraine | 98 Patents | 2023 | down 97.3% | volatile |
| 48 | Hong Kong | 96 Patents | 2023 | down 98.7% | volatile |
| 49 | Cyprus | 77 Patents | 2023 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 50 | Nicaragua | 59 Patents | 2021 | down 79.0% | volatile |
| 51 | Thailand | 50 Patents | 2023 | up 61.3% | volatile |
| 52 | Iran | 48 Patents | 2023 | up 860.0% | volatile |
| 53 | Cuba | 33 Patents | 2023 | down 86.2% | volatile |
| 54 | Indonesia | 20 Patents | 2023 | up 42.9% | volatile |
| 54 | Iceland | 20 Patents | 2023 | down 9.1% | volatile |
| 56 | Kazakhstan | 17 Patents | 2023 | down 80.7% | volatile |
| 57 | Egypt | 15 Patents | 2023 | down 69.4% | volatile |
| 57 | San Marino | 15 Patents | 2023 | down 98.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Jordan | 11 Patents | 2022 | down 93.3% | volatile |
| 60 | United Arab Emirates | 10 Patents | 2023 | up 400.0% | volatile |
| 61 | Algeria | 9 Patents | 2023 | up 28.6% | volatile |
| 61 | Uruguay | 9 Patents | 2023 | down 99.1% | volatile |
| 63 | Armenia | 7 Patents | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 63 | Sri Lanka | 7 Patents | 2023 | down 53.3% | volatile |
| 63 | Pakistan | 7 Patents | 2023 | down 12.5% | volatile |
| 66 | Azerbaijan | 6 Patents | 2023 | down 45.5% | volatile |
| 66 | Georgia | 6 Patents | 2023 | down 86.4% | falling |
| 66 | Monaco | 6 Patents | 2023 | up 20.0% | volatile |
| 66 | North Korea | 6 Patents | 2023 | up 500.0% | volatile |
| 70 | Kenya | 5 Patents | 2023 | down 16.7% | volatile |
| 70 | North Macedonia | 5 Patents | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 72 | Oman | 4 Patents | 2022 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Panama | 4 Patents | 2019 | down 98.3% | volatile |
| 72 | Tajikistan | 4 Patents | 2020 | down 60.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Uzbekistan | 4 Patents | 2023 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 76 | Belarus | 3 Patents | 2023 | down 91.4% | volatile |
| 76 | Montenegro | 3 Patents | 2023 | down 99.3% | volatile |
| 76 | Tunisia | 3 Patents | 2023 | down 97.7% | volatile |
| 79 | Albania | 2 Patents | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 79 | Burundi | 2 Patents | 2016 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Bangladesh | 2 Patents | 2022 | down 60.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Bahrain | 2 Patents | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 79 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 Patents | 2023 | down 60.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Jamaica | 2 Patents | 2012 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 79 | Kyrgyzstan | 2 Patents | 2020 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 79 | Lebanon | 2 Patents | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 79 | Nigeria | 2 Patents | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 79 | Paraguay | 2 Patents | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 79 | Qatar | 2 Patents | 2021 | unchanged | falling |
| 79 | Zambia | 2 Patents | 2017 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Brunei Darussalam | 2 Patents | 2019 | down 33.3% | volatile |
| 92 | Bolivia | 1 Patents | 2022 | down 50.0% | rising |
| 92 | Ghana | 1 Patents | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 92 | Guatemala | 1 Patents | 2022 | down 99.6% | volatile |
| 92 | Honduras | 1 Patents | 2021 | down 99.5% | volatile |
| 92 | Iraq | 1 Patents | 2022 | unchanged | falling |
| 92 | Malta | 1 Patents | 2022 | down 85.7% | volatile |
| 92 | Mongolia | 1 Patents | 2018 | down 66.7% | volatile |
| 92 | Sudan | 1 Patents | 2022 | down 50.0% | rising |
| 92 | El Salvador | 1 Patents | 2023 | down 92.9% | volatile |
| 92 | Turkmenistan | 1 Patents | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 92 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1 Patents | 2016 | unchanged | falling |
| 92 | Venezuela | 1 Patents | 2020 | down 66.7% | volatile |
| 92 | Zimbabwe | 1 Patents | 2015 | down 50.0% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Korea 209,296 Patents
- Slovak Republic 212 Patents
About this data
Patent statistics and indicators are suitable for tracking innovation in environment-related technologies. They allow the assessment of countries' innovation performance as well as the design of governments' environmental and innovation policies. This dataset presents data on patent applications by patent office. For more information on the methodology, click the link below on "Database documentation" Data source(s): OECD, STI Micro-data Lab: Intellectual Property Database, http://oe.cd/ipstats Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Dataset release date: April 16, 2026 Database documentation