Volume
International patent families from every country, by the year of the earliest filing, to 2025: a part year, still filling in.
Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google
Share by country
The same families, each year as 100 per cent: the ten largest countries of origin and the rest of the world.
Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google
Top 10
The ten countries with the most international patent families, 2015 to 2024, each with its 8 largest capabilities; each bar is in the colour of its capability domain. Select a country or a capability for its page.
Japan
775,899 international families · 21.0% of the world
United States
719,368 international families · 19.5% of the world
China
678,233 international families · 18.4% of the world
South Korea
351,396 international families · 9.5% of the world
Germany
298,587 international families · 8.1% of the world
France
110,421 international families · 3.0% of the world
Taiwan
107,651 international families · 2.9% of the world
United Kingdom
69,989 international families · 1.9% of the world
Switzerland
66,788 international families · 1.8% of the world
Italy
52,879 international families · 1.4% of the world
Asia Pacific
13 countries listed, 2.03M international patent families, 2015 to 2024.
Japan
775,899 international families · 21.0% of the world
China
678,233 international families · 18.4% of the world
South Korea
351,396 international families · 9.5% of the world
Taiwan
107,651 international families · 2.9% of the world
India
23,446 international families · 0.6% of the world
Israel
21,927 international families · 0.6% of the world
Singapore
19,585 international families · 0.5% of the world
Australia
18,710 international families · 0.5% of the world
Türkiye
17,848 international families · 0.5% of the world
Saudi Arabia
6,052 international families · 0.2% of the world
Hong Kong
4,909 international families · 0.1% of the world
New Zealand
3,015 international families · 0.1% of the world
Malaysia
1,943 international families · 0.1% of the world
Europe
21 countries listed, 853k international patent families, 2015 to 2024.
Germany
298,587 international families · 8.1% of the world
France
110,421 international families · 3.0% of the world
United Kingdom
69,989 international families · 1.9% of the world
Switzerland
66,788 international families · 1.8% of the world
Italy
52,879 international families · 1.4% of the world
Netherlands
52,363 international families · 1.4% of the world
Sweden
47,637 international families · 1.3% of the world
Finland
27,005 international families · 0.7% of the world
Austria
23,376 international families · 0.6% of the world
Spain
19,862 international families · 0.5% of the world
Denmark
18,096 international families · 0.5% of the world
Belgium
17,834 international families · 0.5% of the world
Ireland
9,678 international families · 0.3% of the world
Russia
9,671 international families · 0.3% of the world
Norway
7,965 international families · 0.2% of the world
Poland
5,977 international families · 0.2% of the world
Luxembourg
3,915 international families · 0.1% of the world
Czechia
3,185 international families · 0.1% of the world
Portugal
3,123 international families · 0.1% of the world
Liechtenstein
2,834 international families · 0.1% of the world
Hungary
1,619 international families · 0.0% of the world
Americas
5 countries listed, 774k international patent families, 2015 to 2024.
United States
719,368 international families · 19.5% of the world
Canada
40,013 international families · 1.1% of the world
Brazil
6,839 international families · 0.2% of the world
Cayman Islands
5,386 international families · 0.1% of the world
Mexico
2,312 international families · 0.1% of the world
Africa
1 country listed, 2,413 international patent families, 2015 to 2024.
South Africa
2,413 international families · 0.1% of the world
All countries
Patent families with an earliest filing 2015 to 2024. Growth compares the latest five full years with the five before, on international families. The line runs from 2000 to 2025, a part year still filling in.
| 2000 to 2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 775,899 | 21.0% | 1.0× | 146,160 | 2,076,561 | 37% | |
| United States | 719,368 | 19.5% | 1.0× | 119,779 | 1,406,576 | 51% | |
| China | 678,233 | 18.4% | 1.5× | 41,416 | 13,707,702 | 5% | |
| South Korea | 351,396 | 9.5% | 1.3× | 29,423 | 1,489,633 | 24% | |
| Germany | 298,587 | 8.1% | 0.9× | 34,440 | 496,337 | 60% | |
| France | 110,421 | 3.0% | 1.0× | 16,201 | 162,095 | 68% | |
| Taiwan | 107,651 | 2.9% | 1.0× | 5,165 | 231,988 | 46% | |
| United Kingdom | 69,989 | 1.9% | 1.0× | 12,345 | 147,108 | 48% | |
| Switzerland | 66,788 | 1.8% | 1.2× | 18,290 | 79,352 | 84% | |
| Italy | 52,879 | 1.4% | 1.0× | 6,123 | 87,995 | 60% | |
| Netherlands | 52,363 | 1.4% | 1.0× | 10,670 | 63,070 | 83% | |
| Sweden | 47,637 | 1.3% | 1.1× | 6,631 | 52,721 | 90% | |
| Canada | 40,013 | 1.1% | 1.0× | 3,822 | 63,673 | 63% | |
| Finland | 27,005 | 0.7% | 1.4× | 3,025 | 30,551 | 88% | |
| India | 23,446 | 0.6% | 1.3× | 1,487 | 35,607 | 66% | |
| Austria | 23,376 | 0.6% | 1.0× | 2,868 | 27,995 | 84% | |
| Israel | 21,927 | 0.6% | 1.0× | 4,725 | 32,867 | 67% | |
| Spain | 19,862 | 0.5% | 1.0× | 1,965 | 27,980 | 71% | |
| Singapore | 19,585 | 0.5% | 1.5× | 1,791 | 26,128 | 75% | |
| Australia | 18,710 | 0.5% | 0.9× | 2,698 | 32,783 | 57% | |
| Denmark | 18,096 | 0.5% | 1.1× | 2,692 | 20,084 | 90% | |
| Türkiye | 17,848 | 0.5% | 1.4× | 389 | 55,959 | 32% | |
| Belgium | 17,834 | 0.5% | 1.0× | 3,345 | 22,074 | 81% | |
| Ireland | 9,678 | 0.3% | 1.1× | 1,762 | 13,648 | 71% | |
| Russia | 9,671 | 0.3% | 0.7× | 446 | 145,767 | 7% | |
| Norway | 7,965 | 0.2% | 1.0× | 1,105 | 10,218 | 78% | |
| Brazil | 6,839 | 0.2% | 0.9× | 326 | 33,558 | 20% | |
| Saudi Arabia | 6,052 | 0.2% | 1.2× | 519 | 12,451 | 49% | |
| Poland | 5,977 | 0.2% | 1.1× | 437 | 37,652 | 16% | |
| Cayman Islands | 5,386 | 0.1% | 0.4× | 1,144 | 8,177 | 66% | |
| Hong Kong | 4,909 | 0.1% | 0.8× | 330 | 11,247 | 44% | |
| Luxembourg | 3,915 | 0.1% | 0.8× | 1,042 | 4,839 | 81% | |
| Czechia | 3,185 | 0.1% | 1.0× | 198 | 6,813 | 47% | |
| Portugal | 3,123 | 0.1% | 1.3× | 214 | 4,714 | 66% | |
| New Zealand | 3,015 | 0.1% | 1.1× | 479 | 4,272 | 71% | |
| Liechtenstein | 2,834 | 0.1% | 1.0× | 505 | 3,024 | 94% | |
| South Africa | 2,413 | 0.1% | 0.7× | 121 | 5,013 | 48% | |
| Mexico | 2,312 | 0.1% | 0.7× | 159 | 10,663 | 22% | |
| Malaysia | 1,943 | 0.1% | 0.8× | 114 | 5,346 | 36% | |
| Hungary | 1,619 | 0.0% | 1.0× | 164 | 3,539 | 46% |
Countries beyond these are pooled as other. Download as JSON.
How an invention is traced to a country
In order: the country of its applicants; failing that, of its inventors; failing that, the office where it was first filed. Of international families, 99% rest on the applicant. Of all families, home-only filings included, 38% rest on the applicant and 61% on the first office.