Based on a comparison of 126 countries in 2018, China ranked the highest in patent applications of residents with 1,393,815 followed by USA and Japan. On the other end of the scale was Laos with 1.00, Kuwait with 1.00 and Macao with 1.00.
Total patent applications of residents reached 2,294,847 in 2018 in the World according to World Bank. This is 5.75 % more than in the previous year and 52.9 % more than 10 years ago.
Historically, total patent applications of residents reached an all time high of 2,294,847 in 2018 and an all time low of 455,957 in 1985. The average annual growth amounted to 5.02 % since 1960.
The top ranked country, China, accounted for 60.7 % of patent applications of residents in the world. The top 3 countries hold a 84.2 % share while the ten largest countries some 96.8 % in 2018.
Data for more countries are available at Patent Applications (Residents) indicator page.
Patent Applications (Residents) | Unit | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Brazil | 4,798 | 4,959 | 4,659 | 4,641 | 5,200 | |||||||||||||||||
Canada | 4,709 | 4,567 | 4,198 | 4,277 | 4,078 | |||||||||||||||||
China | 535,313 | 704,936 | 801,135 | 968,252 | 1,204,981 | |||||||||||||||||
France | 14,540 | 14,690 | 14,500 | 14,306 | 14,206 | |||||||||||||||||
Germany | 46,620 | 47,353 | 48,154 | 47,384 | 48,480 | |||||||||||||||||
India | 9,553 | 10,669 | 12,040 | 12,579 | 13,199 | |||||||||||||||||
Iran | 10,622 | 11,305 | 13,683 | ... | 14,930 | |||||||||||||||||
Italy | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 8,439 | 8,307 | 8,601 | ... | 8,848 | ||||||||||
Japan | 287,013 | 271,731 | 265,959 | 258,839 | 260,244 | |||||||||||||||||
Poland | 4,410 | 4,237 | 3,941 | 4,676 | 4,261 | |||||||||||||||||
Russia | 28,701 | 28,765 | 24,072 | 29,269 | 26,795 | |||||||||||||||||
South Korea | 148,136 | 159,978 | 164,073 | 167,275 | 163,424 | |||||||||||||||||
Turkey | 4,434 | 4,392 | 4,766 | 5,352 | 6,230 | |||||||||||||||||
USA | 268,782 | 287,831 | 285,096 | 288,335 | 295,327 | |||||||||||||||||
United Kingdom | 15,370 | 14,972 | 15,196 | 14,867 | 13,876 |