Patent applications, nonresidents in China

China: Patent applications, nonresidents was 159,019 in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
159,019
Change on year
up 4.4%
World rank
2nd
of 150 countries
All-time high
159,019
in 2021
All-time low
4,051
in 1991
Years of data
37
1985–2021

Patent applications, nonresidents in China, 1985–2021

050.0k100.0k150.0k1985200320211985: 4.5k1986: 4.5k1987: 4.1k1988: 4.9k1989: 4.9k1990: 4.3k1991: 4.1k1992: 4.4k1993: 7.5k1994: 7.9k1995: 8.7k1996: 11.1k1997: 12.1k1998: 33.6k1999: 34.4k2000: 26.6k2001: 33.4k2002: 40.4k2003: 48.5k2004: 64.6k2005: 79.8k2006: 88.2k2007: 92.1k2008: 95.3k2009: 85.5k2010: 98.1k2011: 110.6k2012: 117.5k2013: 120.2k2014: 127.0k2015: 133.6k2016: 133.5k2017: 135.9k2018: 148.2k2019: 157.1k2020: 152.3k2021: 159.0k

Source: WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans.

Analysis

The most recent figure for patent applications, nonresidents in China is 159,019, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

The figure is up 4.4% on the previous year and up 43.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, patent applications, nonresidents in China peaked at 159,019 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 4,051, in 1991.

China ranks 2nd of 150 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4,575 4,084 4,910 5
1990s 12,812 4,051 34,418 10
2000s 65,444 26,560 95,259 10
2010s 128,170 98,111 157,093 10
2020s 155,680 152,342 159,019 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 United States 329,229 compare
  2. 3 Japan 66,748 compare
  3. 4 South Korea 51,753 compare
  4. 5 India 35,306 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More science & technology data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is patent applications, nonresidents in China?
Patent applications, nonresidents in China was 159,019 in 2021, according to WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans.
What is the highest patent applications, nonresidents recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 159,019 in 2021.
What is the lowest patent applications, nonresidents recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 4,051 in 1991.
How does China rank for patent applications, nonresidents?
China ranks 2nd out of 150 countries with data for 2021.
Is patent applications, nonresidents rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans, published as part of Patent applications, nonresidents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Patent applications, nonresidents
Source
WIPO Patent Report: Statistics on Worldwide Patent Activity, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), note: The International Bureau of WIPO assumes no responsibility with respect to the trans
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
162 places, 4,548 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed

Patent applications are worldwide patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure or with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.