China is the largest contributor to global patent applications

China is the largest contributor to global patent applications

Chinese patent applications surpassed US applications in 2010, reaching over 1.4mn in 2021. / bne IntelliNews

By Our World in Data November 26, 2024

China’s patent applications have grown rapidly in recent decades, as shown in the chart, Our World in Data reports.

Chinese applications surpassed US applications in 2010, reaching over 1.4mn in 2021. According to this data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China’s applications accounted for more than half of the global total in 2021.

In contrast, patent applications in the US have seen little growth in recent years, while in Japan, filings have steadily declined since 2000.

Innovations are patented due to economic incentives. A patent protects the invention to the owner for a limited period, often 20 years. This is why policymakers and researchers frequently compare annual patent filings across countries – new patents are considered a proxy for the pace of innovation.

However, patents are just one aspect of innovation. A country’s innovation system is shaped by a complex network of research, development and commercialisation, and patent applications are just one part of this broader process.

Read more about technological progress.

#bno #China #bneTech #patents

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