Europe & Central Asia: Patent applications, residents

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Europe & Central Asia's patent applications, residents rose 1.4% on 2023 (from 211,073 to 214,026).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.9% and a typical year strayed about 5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 44% in 1992 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.5% in 1994. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1,648 a year. A straight line explains 55% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

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 45 values

Patent applications, residents in nearby economies

• Algeria — 1,084 (2024)
• Bahrain — 6 (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 563 (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 8,314 (2024)
• Iraq — 556 (2024)
• Israel — 1,448 (2024)
• Jordan — 14 (2024)
• Malta — 9 (2024)
• Morocco — 343 (2024)
• Oman — 98 (2024)
• Pakistan — 480 (2024)
• Qatar

More infrastructure data for Europe & Central Asia

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 217 million (2025)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 23.3 (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 1.25 billion (2025)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 134.6 (2025)
• Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count — 152,016 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, resident, by count — 263,560 (2024)
• Patent applications, nonresidents — 161,435 (2024)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 17.08% (2025)
• Air transport, passengers carried

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Europe & Central Asia's patent applications, residents?

214,026 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 115.25% from 99,430 in 1980 (1.76% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 227,012 in 2010 and the lowest 90,542 in 1990.

Is the latest change in patent applications, residents unusual for Europe & Central Asia?

In 2024, Europe & Central Asia's patent applications, residents rose 1.4% on 2023 (from 211,073 to 214,026). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.9% and a typical year strayed about 5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

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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