Ireland: Patent applications, nonresidents

Key figures

Over five years it is up 82.86% from 35 in 2019 (12.83% a year on average, compounded). Since 1980 it is down 97.28% from 2,355 in 1980 (7.87% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 24 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Ireland's patent applications, nonresidents rose 64.1% on 2023 (from 39 to 64).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1981 to 2023), the average change was +4.7% and a typical year strayed about 33.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 95% in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 57.3% in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 13% of the movement over 9 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, Ireland had the 76th highest value of the 118 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 Ireland in the 2024 ranking

• Trinidad and Tobago — 73rd of 118: 91
• Poland — 74th of 118: 90
• Iraq — 75th of 118: 82
• Romania — 77th of 118: 63
• Finland — 78th of 118: 59
• Portugal — 79th of 118: 53

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 21 values

Patent applications, nonresidents in nearby economies

• Albania — 1 (2023)
• Armenia — 6 (2024)
• Austria — 159 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 49 (2024)
• Belarus — 47 (2024)
• Belgium — 412 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 13 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 7 (2024)
• Croatia — 6 (2024)
• Cyprus — 2 (2022)
• Czechia — 38 (2024)

More infrastructure data for Ireland

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 1.08 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 20.51 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 1.11 million (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 430.49 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 192.53 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 5.92 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 112.64 (2024)
• Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — 97.19% (2024)
• Medium and high-tech exports (% manufactured exports) — 62.54% (2024)

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 Ireland's patent applications, nonresidents?

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

How has it changed since 1980?

It is down 97.28% from 2,355 in 1980 (7.87% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4,001 in 1990 and the lowest 20 in 2022.

How does Ireland rank?

76th highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in patent applications, nonresidents unusual for Ireland?

In 2024, Ireland's patent applications, nonresidents rose 64.1% on 2023 (from 39 to 64). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1981 to 2023), the average change was +4.7% and a typical year strayed about 33.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IP.PAT.NRES, 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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