China Dominates Global Patent Filings in 2024
In 2024, China submitted the most patent applications, reinforcing its position as a leader in global intellectual property activity, as reported by the South China Morning Post, referencing data from the World Intellectual Property Organisation. Last year, the country saw 1.8 million patent applications, accounting for nearly half of all global filings and exceeding the number submitted in the United States by more than three times. The United States secured the second position, trailed by Japan, South Korea, and Germany. In 2024, China issued more than 1 million patents, whereas the US granted 319,815, and the report emphasized that China approved 124,000 more patents than in 2023 — a staggering 27-fold increase compared to the US, which issued merely 4,570 additional patents.
WIPO has announced a remarkable 3.7 million patent applications globally in 2024, reflecting a 4.9 percent rise from 2023 and signifying the fifth consecutive year of growth. In the past year, approximately 2.1 million patents were granted worldwide. China’s filings increased by 9 per cent year-on-year, with approximately 153,000 more applications compared to 2023. The proportion of global patent filings increased from 34.6 percent in 2014 to 49.1 percent in 2024, and in addition to patents, China also took the lead in trademark and design applications. Chinese applicants submitted approximately 7.3 million trademark applications, both domestically and internationally, which is nearly nine times the number filed by US applicants.
The report disclosed that 93.1 per cent of patent applications submitted to China’s National Intellectual Property Administration originated from local residents, marking the highest ratio among the top 20 countries. In contrast, the US Patent and Trademark Office received 603,194 applications in 2024, reflecting an increase of 0.8 per cent from the previous year. However, over half of the US filings, approximately 333,000, originated from non-residents. The number of filings originating in the US, both domestic and abroad, decreased by 3.7 percent to 501,831, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
In the last ten years, Asia has increased its share of global patent filings to more than 70 percent, with China, India, and South Korea at the forefront, and the three countries continue to be the primary catalysts for innovation in the region. Among the top 20 origins, India, Finland, and Turkey experienced double-digit growth in 2024. Meanwhile, both North America and Europe have seen a decrease in their global shares over the past decade. Computer technology continued to be the predominant field for published patent applications, representing 13.2 percent of the global total, and it was succeeded by electrical machinery, measurement, digital communications, and medical technology, preserving the same sequence as in 2023.
