Japan: Patent applications, nonresidents

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Japan's patent applications, nonresidents fell 2.1% on 2023 (from 71,197 to 69,686).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +2.6% and a typical year strayed about 4.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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 14.4% in 1984 and the biggest yearly fall was 12.5% in 2009. 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 upward, about 1,583 a year. A straight line explains 83% 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

In 2024, Japan had the 3rd 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 Japan in the 2024 ranking

• United States — 1st of 118: 332,899
• China — 2nd of 118: 156,053
• Korea, Rep. — 4th of 118: 50,459
• India — 5th of 118: 41,940
• Canada — 6th of 118: 31,070

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 43 values

Patent applications, nonresidents in nearby economies

• Australia — 27,945 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 137 (2024)
• Cambodia — 150 (2024)
• China — 156,053 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 15,445 (2024)
• Indonesia — 8,971 (2024)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 6 (2020)
• Korea, Rep. — 50,459 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 48 (2024)
• Macao SAR, China — 49 (2024)
• Malaysia

More infrastructure data for Japan

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 59.33 million (2023)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 47.7 (2023)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 975,616 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 8,474 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 120.31 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 221.92 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 178.43 (2023)
• Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count — 12,102 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, resident, by count — 20,675 (2024)
• Patent applications, residents

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 Japan's patent applications, nonresidents?

69,686 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 175.55% from 25,290 in 1980 (2.33% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 71,197 in 2023 and the lowest 24,977 in 1983.

How does Japan rank?

3rd highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Japan's patent applications, nonresidents fell 2.1% on 2023 (from 71,197 to 69,686). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +2.6% and a typical year strayed about 4.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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.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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