China filed nearly half of all patents worldwide in 2024, outpacing the U.S. by more than threefold. A total of 1.8 million patent applications were filed in China last year, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The U.S. is ranked second on the list, followed by Japan, South Korea and Germany. Meanwhile, China issued over 1 million patents, more than three times the number issued by the U.S.' 319,815. The Chinese saw a increase of 124,000 patents compared with 2023, while the U.S. only approved 4,570 more, which was a 27 times difference. WIPO found in 2024 global innovators submitted a record-breaking 3.7 million patent applications, up 4.9% on 2023, and a fifth straight year of rise, and an estimated 2.1 million patents were granted worldwide.
China’s patent filing increased 9% year-on-year, about 153,000 more than last year, and the Chinese share of the world total has risen from 34.6% in 2014 to 49.1% in 2024, the report noted. As many as 93.1% of patent applications made to China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) were from its residents, the highest among the top 20 countries. In contrast, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office received 603,194 applications, 0.8% more than 2023, but around 333,000, or more than half of the U.S. applicants, were non-residents. The filings that originated in the U.S., either to the U.S. Office or abroad, numbered 501,831, a 3.7% drop.
Over the past decade, Asia saw its share of total applications filed globally rising to over 70%, with three of the top five countries in Asia. China, India and South Korea have consistently been the main contributors to the overall growth in patent filings. In 2024, India, Finland and Turkey recorded double-digit growth among the top 20. Both Northern America and Europe have seen a significant decline in shares over the past decade, the statistics show.
Computer technology remains the most frequently featured field in published patent applications worldwide, accounting for 13.2% of the global total. It was followed by electrical machinery, measurement, digital communications and medical technology, which was consistent with the ranking in 2023. Additionally, China also filed for the largest number of trademarks and design applications. China-based applicants in 2024 submitted around 7.3 million trademarks, which is nine times the second-ranked U.S. applicants, as well as 825,330 design applications, more than half of global activity, according to WIPO, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
