World Intellectual Property Indicators
The World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) is an annual statistical report published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations specialized agency, that compiles and analyzes global data on intellectual property (IP) activity, including filings, grants, registrations, and renewals for patents, utility models, trademarks, industrial designs, plant variety protection, and other IP categories.[1] Drawing from official statistics submitted by national and regional IP offices worldwide, the report tracks empirical trends in IP utilization as a proxy for innovative output and economic incentives tied to legal protections, with the 2024 edition covering 2023 data showing patent applications surpassing 3.5 million for the first time, driven primarily by growth in Asia.[2][3] Key defining characteristics include its focus on raw filing volumes rather than qualitative assessments of invention novelty, revealing disparities such as China's dominance in patent applications (over 1.6 million in 2023, accounting for nearly half of the global total) contrasted with the United States leading in trademark registrations and high-value resident patent grants per capita.[2][3] The indicators highlight causal links between strong IP frameworks and sustained R&D investment, as evidenced by consistent year-over-year increases in IP filings even amid economic disruptions, underscoring IP's role in fostering technological progress through exclusive rights that enable recouping development costs.[2] While praised for providing transparent, verifiable datasets that inform policy on innovation ecosystems, the metrics have faced scrutiny for potentially overemphasizing quantity over genuine inventive contribution, as high filing rates in some jurisdictions may reflect subsidized or low-barrier systems rather than superior causal drivers of creativity.[1] Notable achievements encompass annual updates since the early 2000s that have standardized global IP benchmarking, aiding empirical analysis of how IP-intensive industries contribute disproportionately to GDP and employment in advanced economies.[2]Overview and History
Establishment and Purpose
The World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) report series was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2009 as an annual publication providing comprehensive statistics on global intellectual property activity.[1] This initiative succeeded WIPO's prior World Patent Report, which focused primarily on patent trends, by broadening the scope to encompass multiple IP categories including utility models, trademarks, industrial designs, microorganisms, plant variety protection, geographical indications, and elements of the creative economy.[4] The primary purpose of the WIPI is to compile and analyze empirical data on IP filings, registrations, grants, and renewals to track temporal and geographical trends in innovation and creative output.[5] Data are sourced from approximately 150 national and regional IP offices worldwide, supplemented by statistics from WIPO-administered international treaties, targeted surveys, and select industry reports, ensuring a robust dataset for cross-jurisdictional comparisons.[1] By presenting disaggregated metrics—such as resident and non-resident filings by origin, sector, and technology field—the reports aim to inform policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders on the drivers of IP utilization, including economic, technological, and institutional factors influencing global patterns.[5] This evidence-based approach supports assessments of IP systems' effectiveness in fostering innovation without presuming uniform causality across contexts, highlighting variations attributable to verifiable differences in legal frameworks, R&D investment, and market conditions.[1]Evolution of the Report Series
The World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) report series originated with its inaugural edition published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2009, providing an initial overview of global activity in patents, utility models, trademarks, and industrial designs based on filing and registration data from national and regional IP offices.[4] This first report emphasized empirical trends in industrial property utilization, marking a shift toward standardized, comparable international statistics to track innovation and IP protection patterns.[1] Subsequent annual editions expanded the scope incrementally, incorporating additional IP categories such as microorganisms and plant variety protection by the early 2010s, followed by the inclusion of geographical indications in 2017 to reflect growing recognition of origin-based protections.[1] Analytical depth increased with thematic spotlights, including women inventors in the 2016 edition, operational metrics for patent offices in 2017, and coverage of the creative economy alongside patent litigation in 2018, drawing on supplementary data from sources like the World Bank and targeted surveys.[1] These enhancements aimed to address evolving policy needs, such as assessing gender disparities in innovation and efficiency in IP administration, while maintaining a focus on verifiable filing, registration, and in-force statistics. By the 2024 edition, the series had matured into a comprehensive annual benchmark, analyzing 2023 data across all major IP domains with improved granularity on renewals and regional breakdowns, underscoring sustained global IP growth amid economic fluctuations.[2] This evolution reflects WIPO's response to demands for broader, more actionable insights into IP dynamics, without altering the core methodology of aggregating official office-reported figures.[1]Methodology and Data Collection
Sources and Compilation Process
The World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) reports are compiled using data sourced directly from national and regional intellectual property (IP) offices, which provide statistics on filings, registrations, grants, and renewals for patents, trademarks, industrial designs, utility models, and other IP categories.[2] [6] WIPO's Economics and Statistics Division collects this raw data via annual questionnaires distributed to over 100 IP offices globally, covering resident and non-resident activity typically with a lag of one to two years for complete reporting.[6] For international systems administered by WIPO, such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Madrid Protocol for trademarks, and Hague Agreement for industrial designs, data is drawn from WIPO's own records, including applicant origins based on the first-named applicant's residence.[6] Supplementary sources include the PatStat database for constructing patent families and technology-specific indicators, as well as the World Bank's World Development Indicators for contextual metrics like GDP and population to compute IP intensity ratios.[6] [7] Compilation involves aggregating and standardizing submitted data to ensure comparability across jurisdictions, with world totals estimated where submissions are incomplete or delayed.[6] Filings at regional offices, such as the European Patent Office (EPO), are counted using either absolute counts (one per application) or equivalent counts (allocating to member states based on designations), with adjustments for systems like EPO and African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) to avoid overcounting.[6] [7] Patent family indicators group related applications via priority claims and PCT linkages, employing fractional counting for technology classifications based on International Patent Classification (IPC) codes to reflect inventive focus.[6] Data processing accounts for definitional differences—such as excluding utility models from core patent counts unless specified—and updates with new PatStat releases, which may revise prior figures for accuracy.[6] [7] This methodology prioritizes verifiable office-reported figures over estimates, enabling trend analysis while noting potential variances due to reporting lags or office-specific practices.[6]Indicators and Metrics Employed
The World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) reports utilize quantitative metrics derived from administrative data submitted by national and regional intellectual property offices, supplemented by information from WIPO-administered international systems such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Madrid System, and Hague System. These metrics emphasize counts of intellectual property rights at various stages of the lifecycle, including applications filed, grants or registrations issued, renewals processed, and titles in force, to measure activity levels and trends. Coverage is extensive, capturing 99.8% of worldwide patent filings across 164 offices and similar high rates for other categories through annual surveys and database integrations like the WIPO Statistics Database.[3][5] Key metrics are disaggregated by applicant origin (residency), IP office, geographical region (using United Nations classifications), income group (per World Bank criteria), and technological or sectoral fields via standardized classifications. For instance, resident versus non-resident filings distinguish domestic innovation from foreign protection-seeking, with global resident shares typically exceeding 70% for patents and 84% for trademarks in recent years. Technology-specific breakdowns employ the International Patent Classification (IPC) for patents (35 fields, such as computer technology at 12.4% of 2022 filings), Nice Classification for trademarks (45 classes, e.g., Class 9 for scientific apparatus at 11.4%), and Locarno Classification for industrial designs (32 classes, e.g., textiles at 17.3%). Additional analytical metrics include patent families (grouping related applications) and gender-disaggregated inventor data using probabilistic name-based attribution from public dictionaries.[3][5] The following table outlines primary metrics by IP category, based on 2023 data compilation:| IP Category | Core Metrics | Key Breakdowns |
|---|---|---|
| Patents | Filings (3.55 million worldwide), grants (2.01 million), in-force titles (18.6 million), families | By IPC fields, resident/non-resident (71.2% resident globally) |
| Utility Models | Filings (3.13 million) | Primarily by origin (e.g., China dominant) |
| Trademarks | Filings (15.2 million class counts), registrations (10.3 million), in-force (88.2 million via renewals) | By Nice classes, resident/non-resident (84.2% resident) |
| Industrial Designs | Filings (1.52 million design counts), registrations (0.94 million) | By Locarno classes, equivalent applications |
| Plant Varieties | Filings (29,070), titles issued (21,150), in-force (195,610) | By origin (high resident concentration) |
| Geographical Indications | In-force titles (58,600) | Limited filings data; focus on stocks |
Content and Key Findings
Global Overview of IP Activity
In 2023, global intellectual property filings demonstrated resilience amid economic uncertainties, with total patent applications reaching a record 3,552,100, marking a 2.7% increase from the previous year.[3] This growth was driven primarily by activity in Asia, which accounted for 68.7% of patent filings, led by China's 1,677,701 applications representing 47.2% of the worldwide total.[3] The United States followed as the second-largest filer with 598,085 applications, comprising 16.8% of the global share.[3] Utility model applications also rose by 3.9%, reflecting continued interest in incremental innovations, particularly in regions with supportive legal frameworks.[3] Trademark filings totaled 11.6 million applications in 2023, equivalent to 15.2 million application class counts, but experienced a 2.0% decline from 2022 levels, potentially influenced by data collection adjustments and varying office reporting methodologies.[3] Asia dominated with 66.7% of filings, again propelled by China at 54.2%.[3] Industrial design activity saw 1,524,000 design counts filed, up 2.8%, with Asia holding 69.0% and China contributing 54.2% (826,086 counts).[3] Plant variety protection applications increased by 6.6% to 29,070 globally, with Asia at 62.1% and China leading at 55.7%.[3]| IP Category | 2023 Global Filings | Year-over-Year Growth | Asia's Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patents | 3,552,100 | +2.7% | 68.7% |
| Trademarks | 11.6 million | -2.0% | 66.7% |
| Industrial Designs | 1,524,000 (counts) | +2.8% | 69.0% |
| Plant Varieties | 29,070 | +6.6% | 62.1% |
Patent and Utility Model Trends
Global patent applications reached a record high of 3.55 million in 2023, reflecting a 2.7% increase from 2022 and continuing a decade-long upward trajectory that has seen filings more than double since 2013.[3] Resident filings, which comprised 71.2% of the total, grew by 4.9%, outpacing non-resident applications that declined by 2.2%, indicating strengthening domestic innovation capacity in key markets.[3] Patent grants worldwide surged to approximately 2 million, a 10.1% rise—the fastest since 2012—while patents in force across 140 jurisdictions climbed to 18.6 million, up 7.6%.[7] China's National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) dominated filings with 1.68 million applications, representing 47.2% of the global total and a 3.6% year-over-year increase.[3] The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) followed with 598,085 filings (16.8% share, +0.6%), Japan Patent Office (JPO) at 300,133 (+3.7%), Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) at 243,310 (+2.4%), and European Patent Office (EPO) at 199,429 (+3%).[7] By origin, China accounted for 1.64 million applications (46.3%), the United States 518,364 (13.2%), Japan 414,413, and South Korea 287,954, with notable growth in India (+15.7%).[3] Unique inventions, measured via patent families, have doubled from 0.92 million in 2007 to 2.14 million in 2021, with China holding 67.8% of families in the latter year.[7]| Top Patent Offices by Filings (2023) | Applications | Share (%) | Growth from 2022 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNIPA (China) | 1,677,701 | 47.2 | +3.6 |
| USPTO (United States) | 598,085 | 16.8 | +0.6 |
| JPO (Japan) | 300,133 | 8.4 | +3.7 |
| KIPO (South Korea) | 243,310 | - | +2.4 |
| EPO | 199,429 | - | +3.0 |
Trademark and Design Filings
Global trademark applications totaled an estimated 11.6 million in 2023, marking a 1.3 percent decline from 2022 and representing approximately 157,000 fewer filings.[9] These applications covered 15.2 million classes, a 2 percent decrease from the prior year, reflecting a second consecutive annual drop amid stabilizing economic conditions post-COVID-19.[9] Asia dominated filings, accounting for 66.7 percent of the global total, with China's National Intellectual Property Administration receiving the largest share at 47.2 percent of worldwide applications.[10] [9] The top five offices—China, the United States, the Russian Federation, India, and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)—handled 62 percent of global filings by class count, up from 45 percent a decade earlier, indicating increasing concentration in key jurisdictions.[11] Brazil and India were the only top-five offices to report growth in 2023, with Brazil receiving nearly 413,000 applications; notable increases also occurred in Mexico, Indonesia, and Brazil overall.[9] This concentration underscores the role of large economies in driving trademark activity, though declines in major offices like China (down 4.4 percent) contributed to the global moderation.[12] Industrial design applications reached 1.19 million globally in 2023, a 4 percent increase from 2022, encompassing 1.52 million designs and rising 2.8 percent in count.[13] Asia led with 69 percent of filings, driven primarily by China, which filed 826,086 applications and captured 54.2 percent of the world total.[13] Other top offices included the EUIPO (116,884 applications), the United Kingdom (81,543), the United States (60,022), and the Republic of Korea (59,454), together highlighting Europe's and North America's secondary but significant roles.[13] Growth in design filings was uneven, with robust increases in Indonesia (30.1 percent), India (24.9 percent), and Spain (33 percent), while declines hit Türkiye (30.9 percent) and Germany (13.4 percent).[13] Non-resident filings surged 7.4 percent, outpacing resident growth of 1.8 percent, suggesting heightened international protection strategies amid recovering design-intensive industries.[13] Overall, the rebound in design activity contrasts with trademark softening, pointing to sector-specific dynamics in consumer goods and aesthetics-driven innovation.[3]Other IP Categories
In 2023, global applications for plant variety protection totaled 29,070, reflecting a 6.6% increase from 2022, while titles issued rose sharply to 21,150, up 41.8% year-over-year.[14] Titles in force worldwide reached 195,610, a 21.3% gain, driven largely by activity in Asia, which accounted for 62.1% of applications compared to 24.3% a decade earlier.[14] China led decisively, receiving 16,184 applications (55.7% of the global total and a 24.2% increase), with resident applicants filing 95.9% of its total; the top five offices handled 75.4% of worldwide filings.[14] The European Union's Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) followed with 2,866 applications (9.9% share, down 10.2%), while the United States recorded 1,149 (a 16.4% decline).[14] Notable surges included China's issuance of 9,300 titles (131% growth) and the United Kingdom's 1,400% jump in titles issued, attributed to post-Brexit transitions from EU systems.[14] Geographical indications (GIs), which link products to specific origins and qualities, numbered an estimated 58,600 protections globally in 2023, though this figure includes potential double-counting across jurisdictions; excluding international agreements, approximately 23,400 GIs were identified.[15] Europe held 52.5% of protections, followed by Asia at 39.5%, with upper-middle-income economies accounting for 52.2% overall.[15] Wines and spirits comprised 48.1% of GIs, agricultural products and foodstuffs 44.8%, and handicrafts 4.2%.[15] Under the Lisbon System for appellations of origin and GIs, 1,085 protections were in force across 43 contracting parties, a 30% rise since 2009, with France (35.1%), the EU (21.5%), and Italy (15.3%) as top users.[15] China reported the highest national total at 9,785 GIs, ahead of Germany (7,586) and Hungary (7,290); the EU registered 91 new GIs in 2023 via its system.[15] The report also encompasses microorganism deposits, primarily supporting patent applications for biological inventions, though specific 2023 filing volumes remain modest and integrated into broader patent statistics rather than standalone metrics.[1]Regional and National Analyses
Leading IP Offices and Countries
In 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) received the highest number of patent applications worldwide, totaling 1,680,000, accounting for nearly half of global filings and reflecting a surge driven primarily by resident applicants.[7] The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ranked second with 598,085 applications, followed by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) at 300,133, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) at 243,310, and the European Patent Office (EPO) at 199,429.[7] By country of origin, China also led patent filings with 1,640,000 applications from its residents and abroad, surpassing the United States (518,364), Japan (414,413), the Republic of Korea (287,954), and Germany (133,053).[7] For trademarks, measured in class counts, CNIPA dominated with 7,184,831 applications in 2023, representing over 47% of the global total despite a 1.3% overall decline to 11.6 million filings.[9] The USPTO followed with 739,395, then the Federal Service for Intellectual Property of the Russian Federation (Rospatent) at 546,455, the Indian Patent Office at 520,862, and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) at 436,720.[9] Among origins for abroad filings, Germany topped with approximately 2,040,000 class counts, ahead of China (1,370,000) and the United States (1,290,000).[9] Industrial design applications saw CNIPA lead again with 826,086 filings in 2023, amid a 4% global increase to 1.19 million applications.[13] The EUIPO ranked second at 116,884, followed by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (81,543), USPTO (60,022), and KIPO (59,454).[13] By origin, China originated 882,807 designs, far exceeding the United States (69,076), Germany (64,986), Italy (60,486), and the Republic of Korea (60,120).[13]| IP Category | Top Office (2023 Filings) | Second (Filings) | Third (Filings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patents | CNIPA (1,680,000) | USPTO (598,085) | JPO (300,133) |
| Trademarks (class counts) | CNIPA (7,184,831) | USPTO (739,395) | Rospatent (546,455) |
| Industrial Designs | CNIPA (826,086) | EUIPO (116,884) | UKIPO (81,543) |