Table 1.8.4 - BMBF's Data Portal

Table 1.8.4
Patents relevant to the world market - an international comparison¹⁾
	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Country	Per one million inhabitants
Denmark	m	m	m	m	143	156	164	199	217	255	256	256	278	287	298	303	350	342	302	319	363	328	342	337	335	351	358	372	384	423
Germany	156	158	162	175	185	222	249	282	309	332	330	327	341	362	375	389	410	377	376	385	382	370	372	375	371	381	398	390	386	361
Finland	113	151	168	180	192	225	267	310	362	383	382	335	327	368	355	401	398	381	372	394	398	459	423	399	366	381	407	408	406	439
France	96	90	94	98	101	112	126	136	149	155	158	156	165	175	178	184	187	183	180	181	187	186	190	195	193	184	193	191	187	172
Italy	44	42	45	45	50	59	64	69	78	86	88	90	94	98	106	113	110	102	96	96	94	93	97	96	100	102	102	106	109	107
Netherlands	m	m	m	m	137	162	178	204	227	263	294	268	280	296	291	301	298	294	268	237	270	289	286	292	301	292	315	316	316	313
Sweden	148	164	178	214	229	277	324	327	370	407	368	330	323	344	379	423	469	437	398	414	424	464	435	445	445	471	478	470	484	456
Spain	m	m	m	m	14	17	22	23	26	30	33	35	36	44	49	51	54	55	58	61	59	58	59	61	60	60	61	65	66	65
European Union²⁾	65	66	69	73	78	90	101	112	125	135	135	133	137	145	150	157	161	152	148	150	153	153	154	156	156	157	163	163	163	161
China	m	m	m	m	0	0	0	0	1	2	1	1	2	2	4	5	6	6	9	12	14	16	19	21	27	34	39	41	47	50
Japan	100	94	97	96	113	130	140	151	179	214	208	222	247	278	285	288	303	279	293	343	378	390	375	379	387	407	432	448	430	411
Canada	33	35	40	42	46	54	69	74	92	104	108	106	110	120	134	140	138	117	122	133	127	131	130	114	113	114	110	114	112	117
Korea	m	m	m	m	13	15	20	30	40	61	72	90	120	153	181	202	203	190	226	247	272	294	308	325	341	343	347	383	410	433
Russian Federation	m	m	m	m	3	4	4	5	5	5	6	5	5	6	7	7	7	7	7	8	10	10	9	9	8	9	10	9	9	9
Switzerland	m	m	m	m	309	350	390	437	467	520	534	507	533	591	626	630	672	604	584	620	600	618	604	586	612	614	631	650	640	643
United Kingdom	79	80	83	86	90	100	109	123	142	154	153	147	143	143	144	152	149	136	135	136	139	133	143	144	141	137	140	138	138	132
United States	89	92	95	101	112	123	140	147	173	193	186	182	189	201	210	212	199	173	167	174	189	198	216	200	200	201	204	203	204	204

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ("Data base: European Patent Office (PATSTAT), OECD, World Bank", calculations)

Notes:
¹⁾ Inventions registered in the European Patent Office or at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
²⁾ The category European Union represents those countries that were members of the EU in the respective year of reference (as of 2020, EU countries excluding United Kingdom).

m = data not available.

Last update: January 16, 2023

This work is licensed under a Data licence Germany attribution non-commercial 1.0.
(https://www.govdata.de/dl-de/by-nc-1-0)