China: Patent applications by residents

The latest value from 2021 is 1426644 patent applications, an increase from 1344817 patent applications in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 20444 patent applications, based on data from 112 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1985 to 2021 is 343773 patent applications. The minimum value, 3494 patent applications, was reached in 1986 while the maximum of 1426644 patent applications was recorded in 2021. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Definition: 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.