United States—Patent Applications, Residents
United States's patent applications, residents was 262,244 in 2021, ranking #2 out of 140 countries. This represents a -2.7% change from 2020. Over the past 22 years, the highest recorded value was 295,327 (2016) and the lowest was 164,795 (2000). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 262,244 | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 269,586 | -5.4% |
| 2019 | 285,113 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 285,095 | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 293,904 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 295,327 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 288,335 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 285,096 | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 287,831 | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 268,782 | +8.5% |
| 2011 | 247,750 | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 241,977 | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 224,912 | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 231,588 | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 241,347 | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 221,784 | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 207,867 | +9.7% |
| 2004 | 189,536 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 188,941 | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 184,245 | +3.8% |
| 2001 | 177,513 | +7.7% |
| 2000 | 164,795 |
Top Countries — Patent Applications, Residents
| # | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1.4M | 2021 |
| 2 | United States | 262,244 | 2021 |
| 3 | Japan | 222,452 | 2021 |
| 4 | Korea, Rep. | 186,245 | 2021 |
| 5 | Germany | 39,822 | 2021 |
| 6 | India | 26,267 | 2021 |
| 7 | Russian Federation | 19,569 | 2021 |
| 8 | France | 13,386 | 2021 |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 11,592 | 2021 |
| 10 | Italy | 10,281 | 2021 |
About This Indicator
Definition
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.
Methodology
Data compiled by 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 transformation of these data..