China Maintains Global Leadership in Patent Applications
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), nearly half of all patent applications filed in 2024 originated from China. The country submitted 1.8 million applications — 9% more than in the previous year. The United States ranked second with 603,000 applications, marking a decline in activity compared to 2023.
Japan, South Korea, and Germany also made it into the top five. Asian countries accounted for more than 70% of all applications worldwide, while India, Finland, and Türkiye recorded double-digit growth.
China also topped the list in terms of registered patents, with more than 1 million approvals, compared to around 320,000 in the United States. Overall, a record 3.7 million patent applications were filed globally in 2024 — a 5% increase from the previous year.
The leading fields of innovation included computer technology, electrical engineering, measuring instruments, digital communications, and medical technology. Moreover, China remained the world leader in trademark and industrial design registrations, filing 7.3 million and 825,000 applications, respectively.
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