Which Countries Are Granted The Most New Patents? (Spoiler Alert, Not USA)
There is a great disparity in the number of patents granted across different nations. When examining where each patent originates, it is clear that a few countries dominate specific industries.
The World Intellectual Property Organization of the UN (WIPO), which is a UN agency, tracks thousands of patents every year.
Patents in different industries
.
Patents give their creators exclusive rights to their inventions. These patents encourage the development of new ideas and spur scientific research, which leads to the birth of new technologies and sectors.
The number of granted patents varies widely across countries. We can see that a few countries dominate certain industries when we look at the origins of patent applicants.
This graphic shows a diagram of the.
Visual Capitalist Jacqueline Ann DeStefano Tangorra
Uses
2021 WIPO date
The most recent patents granted by countries are listed, as well as their respective sector categories.
The countries with the most new patents
By 2021, the out-of-date
1,608,375
Patents in multiple fields were awarded to six innovators only.
The Applicants By Country
Patents Granted in 2021
% of Total
China
607,758
37.8%
United States
286,205
17.8%
Japan
256,890
16.0%
South Korea
156,972
9.8%
Germany
69,672
4.3%
United Kingdom
20,009
1.2%
Unknown
24,677
1.5%
Other Countries
186,192
11.6%
World Total
1,608,375
100.0%
In recent years, the number of patents issued by the USPTO has increased dramatically.
China
Top of the charts in
There are 36 fields in total.
The Chinese government's plan includes computer technology, electronic machinery, and digital communications. The Chinese government's
Focus on Innovation
The nation's applicants received
38%
The 1.6 million patents that will be granted in 2021.
You can also find out more about the following:
United States
The world's largest collection of astronomical objects
largest tech companies
Second place was taken by
286,205
Patents granted by origin. The U.S. ranked first in four other fields: medical technology; engines and turbines; basic communication processes and unknown (for innovations that cannot be assigned to any specific field).
Not far behind it is
Japan
You can also find out more about
256,890
Patents granted. It was the leader in semiconductors, optical devices, furniture, and video games. This cemented its reputation as a technological innovator.
Patents granted to applicants with 'unknown' origins, whose nationality or country could not be determined by the inventors, accounted for 24677 patents.
Fields of new patents
It's no surprise that electrical and digital technologies will be the most popular in 2021.
Rank
Main Field of Technology
Patents granted as a percentage
1
Computer Technology
10.3%
2
Electric machinery, apparatus and energy
6.6%
3
Digital communication
6.5%
4
Measurement
5.9%
5
Medical Technology
4.8%
6
Transport
4.5%
7
Civil engineering
3.7%
8
Other Special Machines
3.6%
9
Audio visual technology
3.3%
10
Semiconductors
3.3%
11
Machine tools
2.9%
12
Chemical Engineering
2.8%
13
Handling
2.7%
14
Optics
2.6%
15
Pharmaceuticals
2.4%
16
Materials and metallurgy
2.4%
17
Control
2.4%
18
Mechanical components
2.3%
19
Telecommunications
2.3%
20
Furniture and games
2.3%
21
Basic Materials Chemistry
2.3%
22
Engines, pumps and turbines
2.2%
23
Biotechnology
2.1%
24
Fine organic chemistry
2.0%
25
Management methods for IT
1.9%
26
Polymers and macromolecular chemistry
1.7%
27
Other Consumer Goods
1.7%
28
Environmental technology
1.6%
29
Thermal Processes & Apparatus
1.6%
30
Surface Technology and Coating
1.5%
31
Textile and paper machines
1.5%
32
Food Chemistry
0.9%
33
Communication processes
0.6%
34
Analyse biological material
0.6%
35
Micro structural & nano technology
0.2%
36
Unknown
0.003%
There are also many patents granted mainly in infrastructure-related fields, which have become all the more important following the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasing
Focus on Trade
.
Medical technology, transportation, civil engineering and
Semiconductors
.
A Future of Tech Savvy
The increasing importance of technology is evident in the number of patents that will be granted by 2021.
Innovation around the World
.
Many other nations are making important contributions to intellectual property and innovation.
Intellectual property rights are becoming increasingly important as technology advances and globalization increases.