IP Facts and Figures 2024

Patents and utility models

Together, the top five offices accounted for 85% of the world total in 2023, four percentage points higher than their combined share a decade earlier in 2013. This is solely attributed to exceptional filing growth in China. The office China’s share of the world total has increased from 32.2% in 2013 to 47.2% in 2023. As a result of China’s growth in filings, every other top five office has seen its share decrease over the same period. For instance, the share held by the US has declined from 22.3% to 16.8% over the past decade.

Applicants based in nine of the top 10 origins filed more patent applications in 2023 than in 2022. India-based applicants saw a remarkable 15.7% increase in patent applications filed worldwide, marking their fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth, primarily driven by resident filings in India. Applications from applicants domiciled in the Republic of Korea (+5.7%), Switzerland (+4.3%), and China (+3.6%) also saw marked growth in 2023. For China-based applicants, an increase in resident filings was the main driver of overall growth, whereas for those based in Switzerland, an increase in abroad filings was the main contributor. For applications from the Republic of Korea, growth in both resident and abroad filings contributed to the overall increase.

Focusing on selected middle-income origins shows that applicants based in Brazil (7,298), the Islamic Republic of Iran (8,653), and Türkiye (10,105) filed a substantial number of applications in 2023. The majority of these applications were resident filings in their respective home countries – ranging from 98.3% for the Islamic Republic of Iran to 68.1% for Brazil. For applicants of most of the selected origins shown in the chart above, apart from Malaysia, Mexico, and South Africa, resident filings accounted for more than two-thirds of their total worldwide filings, reflecting applicants’ focus on patent protection within their domestic markets. For the number of patent applications filed by residents of all other origins (where available), see statistical table 1.

In 2023, patent applicants based in the Republic of Korea maintained their position as the most intensive filers relative to GDP, registering 7,309 resident applications for every USD 100 billion of GDP. Its patent filing-to-GDP ratio is far above that of second placed China (4,875). Japan (3,974) had the third highest patent filing-to-GDP ratio, followed by Switzerland (1,462) and Finland (1,247). For the first time, Germany dropped out of the top five ranking to be replaced by Finland in 2023. Germany (1,214), the US (1,119), Sweden (1,035), Denmark (859), and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (714) round out the top 10 origins.

Among the top five origins during the period from 2020 to 2022, applicants based in China (13.9% of all published applications), the Republic of Korea (9.4%) and the US (13.8%) filed most intensively in computer technology, while applicants domiciled in Japan (9.8%) filed mostly in electrical machinery and those in Germany (11.7%) showed a preference for transport.

A utility model (UM) is a special form of patent right. It has less stringent requirements than a patent but gives a shorter term of protection. Utility models are not available in every jurisdiction.

Filing for UMs increased by 3.9% in 2023, representing a second consecutive year of strong growth. The total number of UM applications filed worldwide amounted to 3.1 million. Applicants residing in China filed the vast majority, with over three million applications in 2023, followed by those in the Russian Federation (9,694), Germany (6,280), Indonesia (4,368), and Japan (4,319). Among the top 10 origins, the Russian Federation (+14.6%), Spain (+10.3%), Thailand (+13.7%), and Ukraine (+46.2%) recorded double-digit growth in 2023.

The chart above shows how many utility model applications were filed worldwide by applicants domiciled in a selection of low- and middle-income origins in 2023. Residents of Brazil (2,397), the Philippines (1,968), and Kazakhstan (1,188) filed substantial numbers of applications in 2023. Filings by residents of Peru (+45.7%) and Viet Nam (+30.9%) saw strong on-year growth, albeit from a low base. For the number of utility model applications filed by residents of all other origins (where available), see statistical table 1.