Sudan: Patent applications, residents

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Sudan's patent applications, residents fell 35.7% on 2019 (from 238 to 153).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2019), the average change was +724.2% and a typical year strayed about 2,803.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 11,233.3% in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 83.3% in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 6% of the movement over 8 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

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Sudan in the 2020 ranking

• Nigeria — 1st of 2: 410

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, residents in nearby economies

• Botswana — 10 (2023)
• Ethiopia — 66 (2024)
• Kenya — 396 (2024)
• Madagascar — 3 (2024)
• Malawi — 3 (2016)
• Mauritius — 7 (2024)
• Mozambique — 10 (2024)
• Namibia — 1 (2024)
• Nigeria — 410 (2020)
• Rwanda — 8 (2024)
• South Africa — 350 (2024)
• Uganda

More infrastructure data for Sudan

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 155,802 (2022)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 0.32 (2022)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 9,330 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 911,090 (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 20.04 (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 34.67 million (2022)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 70.21 (2022)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$30.59 million (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 11.26% (2025)
• Scientific and technical journal articles

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sudan's patent applications, residents?

153 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1983?

It is up 2,086% from 7 in 1983 (8.69% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 349 in 2018 and the lowest 1 in 2001.

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

In 2020, Sudan's patent applications, residents fell 35.7% on 2019 (from 238 to 153). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2019), the average change was +724.2% and a typical year strayed about 2,803.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below 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?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

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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