Estonia: Patent applications, residents

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Estonia's patent applications, residents rose 8% on 2023 (from 25 to 27).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +10.2% and a typical year strayed about 43.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 150% in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 67.7% in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 26% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Estonia had the 83rd highest value of the 113 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Estonia in the 2024 ranking

• Iceland — 80th of 113: 38
• Moldova — 81st of 113: 35
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 82nd of 113: 34
• Zimbabwe — 84th of 113: 26
• North Macedonia — 85th of 113: 25
• Uganda — 86th of 113: 22

What this measures

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.

Limitations: Data are based on information supplied to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) by IP offices in annual surveys, supplemented by data in national IP office reports. Data may be missing for some offices or periods.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 31 values

Patent applications, residents in nearby economies

• Albania — 9 (2023)
• Armenia — 13 (2024)
• Austria — 1,676 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 194 (2024)
• Belarus — 256 (2024)
• Belgium — 647 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 34 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 179 (2024)
• Croatia — 62 (2024)
• Cyprus — 3 (2024)
• Czechia — 463 (2024)

More infrastructure data for Estonia

• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 2.06 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 151.13 (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 227,420 (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 16.72 (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 52.79% (2024)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — 92.24% (2024)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 3 (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$3.99 billion (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 25.24% (2025)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Estonia's patent applications, residents?

27 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1994?

It is up 68.75% from 16 in 1994 (1.76% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 84 in 2010 and the lowest 10 in 2022.

How does Estonia rank?

83rd highest of 113 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in patent applications, residents unusual for Estonia?

In 2024, Estonia's patent applications, residents rose 8% on 2023 (from 25 to 27). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +10.2% and a typical year strayed about 43.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IP.PAT.RESD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original 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 transformation of these data. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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