Sri Lanka: Patent applications, nonresidents

Key figures

Over five years it is down 29.02% from 255 in 2019 (6.63% a year on average, compounded). Since 1980 it is up 170.15% from 67 in 1980 (2.28% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 2 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sri Lanka's patent applications, nonresidents fell 21.6% on 2023 (from 231 to 181).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was +5.3% and a typical year strayed about 26.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below 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 98.2% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 26% 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 7.07 a year. A straight line explains 51% 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, Sri Lanka had the 63rd 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 Sri Lanka in the 2024 ranking

• Denmark — 60th of 118: 204
• Dominican Republic — 61st of 118: 202
• Venezuela, RB — 62nd of 118: 197
• Honduras — 64th of 118: 177
• Austria — 65th of 118: 159
• Cambodia — 66th of 118: 150

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

• Bangladesh — 302 (2024)
• Bhutan — 12 (2023)
• India — 41,940 (2024)
• Nepal — 43 (2017)

More infrastructure data for Sri Lanka

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 1.58 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 6.85 (2024)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 24,228 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 278.5 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 3.87 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 30.62 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 132.55 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, nonresident, by count — 42 (2024)
• Industrial design applications, resident, by count — 171 (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 Sri Lanka's patent applications, nonresidents?

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

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 170.15% from 67 in 1980 (2.28% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 293 in 2016 and the lowest 57 in 1994.

How does Sri Lanka rank?

63rd highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Sri Lanka's patent applications, nonresidents fell 21.6% on 2023 (from 231 to 181). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was +5.3% and a typical year strayed about 26.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below 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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