China leads global patent race in 2024, filing nearly half of world total

China filed 1.8 million patent applications in 2024, almost half of the world's total, with most coming from local innovators; the US ranked second, followed by Japan

China filed the highest number of patent applications in 2024, continuing to dominate global intellectual property activity, South China Morning Post reported citing data by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

 

The country recorded 1.8 million patent applications last year, nearly half of all global filings, and more than three times the number submitted in the United States. The US ranked second, followed by Japan, South Korea and Germany.

 

What's behind China's record number of patents?

 

In 2024, China issued over 1 million patents, while the US granted 319,815. The report highlighted that China approved 124,000 more patents than in 2023 -- a 27-times higher increase compared to the US, which issued only 4,570 additional patents.

 

WIPO reported a record 3.7 million patent applications worldwide in 2024, marking a 4.9 per cent increase from 2023 and the fifth consecutive year of growth. Around 2.1 million patents were granted globally during the year. China’s filings grew 9 per cent year-on-year, with about 153,000 additional applications compared to 2023. Its share of global patent filings rose from 34.6 per cent in 2014 to 49.1 per cent in 2024.

 

Besides patents, China also led in trademark and design applications. Chinese applicants filed around 7.3 million trademark applications domestically and internationally -- nearly nine times that of US applicants.

 

In design applications, China submitted 825,330 filings, representing more than half of global activity.   

 

What's driving China’s innovation growth?

 

The report revealed that 93.1 per cent of patent applications filed with China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) came from local residents -- the highest ratio among the top 20 countries.

 

In contrast, the US Patent and Trademark Office received 603,194 applications in 2024, up 0.8 per cent from the previous year. However, more than half of the US filings (around 333,000) were from non-residents. The number of filings originating in the US, both domestic and abroad, fell 3.7 per cent to 501,831, South China Morning Post reported.

 

Asia strengthens its dominance

 

Over the past decade, Asia’s share of global patent filings has grown to over 70 per cent, led by China, India, and South Korea. These three countries remain the key drivers of innovation in the region.

 

Among the top 20 origins, India, Finland and Turkey recorded double-digit growth in 2024. Meanwhile, both North America and Europe experienced a decline in their global shares over the last ten years.

 

Computer technology remained the most common area for published patent applications, accounting for 13.2 per cent of the global total. It was followed by electrical machinery, measurement, digital communications and medical technology, maintaining the same order as in 2023.