Patent filings grew for the fifth year in a row to reach 274 174 in 2014. This was an increase of 3.1% over 2013, and the highest number ever. In terms of patent filing volumes, European companies held their ground. In 2014 roughly a third of the filings came from the EPO member states and two-thirds from outside Europe.
The share of international filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) has increased significantly over the past five years. In 2014, total filings at the EPO included close to 60 000 direct European filings under the European Patent Convention and 214 000 international filings under the PCT.
Roughly a third of the total filings in 2014 came from the EPO member states and two-thirds from outside Europe. The top five
countries were again the US, Japan, Germany, China and South Korea.
Looking at growth rates, patent filings from European countries rose slightly, with the performance of individual countries
varying greatly. Among the large economies, China showed the biggest increase (with +18%), followed by the US, which was up
nearly +7%, and Korea +2%.
| Country | 2014 | 2013 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 71 745 | 67 153 | 6.8% |
| Japan | 48 657 | 50 871 | -4.4% |
| Germany | 31 647 | 31 887 | -0.8% |
| Germany | 31 647 | 31 887 | -0.8% |
| China, People's Republic of | 26 472 | 22 396 | 18.2% |
| Korea, Republic of | 16 358 | 15 993 | 2.3% |
| France | 12 873 | 12 378 | 4% |
| France | 12 873 | 12 378 | 4% |
| Netherlands | 8 104 | 7 430 | 9.1% |
| Netherlands | 8 104 | 7 430 | 9.1% |
| Switzerland | 7 890 | 8 139 | -3.1% |
| United Kingdom | 6 823 | 6 510 | 4.8% |
| United Kingdom | 6 823 | 6 510 | 4.8% |
| Sweden | 5 132 | 5 130 | 0% |
| Sweden | 5 132 | 5 130 | 0% |
| Italy | 4 684 | 4 659 | 0.5% |
| Italy | 4 684 | 4 659 | 0.5% |
| Canada | 3 534 | 3 511 | 0.7% |
| Austria | 2 501 | 2 393 | 4.5% |
| Austria | 2 501 | 2 393 | 4.5% |
| Spain | 2 485 | 2 538 | -2.1% |
| Spain | 2 485 | 2 538 | -2.1% |
| Finland | 2 472 | 2 724 | -9.3% |
| Finland | 2 472 | 2 724 | -9.3% |
| Denmark | 2 352 | 2 306 | 2% |
| Denmark | 2 352 | 2 306 | 2% |
| Belgium | 2 264 | 2 223 | 1.8% |
| Belgium | 2 264 | 2 223 | 1.8% |
| Israel | 1 869 | 1 889 | -1.1% |
| Australia | 1 845 | 1 732 | 6.5% |
| India | 1 535 | 1 431 | 7.3% |
| Turkey | 1 000 | 942 | 6.2% |
| Singapore | 991 | 918 | 8% |
| Chinese Taipei | 987 | 1 098 | -10.1% |
| Russian Federation | 967 | 1 234 | -21.6% |
| Norway | 820 | 825 | -0.6% |
| Ireland | 709 | 718 | -1.3% |
| Ireland | 709 | 718 | -1.3% |
| Poland | 701 | 577 | 21.5% |
| Poland | 701 | 577 | 21.5% |
| Brazil | 680 | 699 | -2.7% |
| Luxembourg | 584 | 558 | 4.7% |
| Luxembourg | 584 | 558 | 4.7% |
| Liechtenstein | 399 | 372 | 7.3% |
| Malaysia | 390 | 322 | 21.1% |
| New Zealand | 377 | 335 | 12.5% |
| Saudi Arabia | 358 | 312 | 14.7% |
| South Africa | 320 | 363 | -11.8% |
| Mexico | 314 | 240 | 30.8% |
| Czech Republic | 273 | 283 | -3.5% |
| Czech Republic | 273 | 283 | -3.5% |
| not classified | 220 | 60 | 266.7% |
| Slovenia | 214 | 190 | 12.6% |
| Slovenia | 214 | 190 | 12.6% |
| Hungary | 190 | 205 | -7.3% |
| Hungary | 190 | 205 | -7.3% |
| Barbados | 187 | 165 | 13.3% |
| Greece | 186 | 154 | 20.8% |
| Greece | 186 | 154 | 20.8% |
| Portugal | 183 | 170 | 7.6% |
| Portugal | 183 | 170 | 7.6% |
| Ukraine | 152 | 153 | -0.7% |
| Chile | 130 | 144 | -9.7% |
| United Arab Emirates | 102 | 75 | 36% |
| Colombia | 99 | 84 | 17.9% |
| Malta | 95 | 101 | -5.9% |
| Malta | 95 | 101 | -5.9% |
| Slovakia | 84 | 51 | 64.7% |
| Slovakia | 84 | 51 | 64.7% |
| Thailand | 68 | 77 | -11.7% |
| Bulgaria | 68 | 69 | -1.4% |
| Bulgaria | 68 | 69 | -1.4% |
| Cyprus | 62 | 54 | 14.8% |
| Cyprus | 62 | 54 | 14.8% |
| Lithuania | 58 | 50 | 16% |
| Lithuania | 58 | 50 | 16% |
| Croatia | 54 | 44 | 22.7% |
| Croatia | 54 | 44 | 22.7% |
| Estonia | 52 | 43 | 20.9% |
| Estonia | 52 | 43 | 20.9% |
| Egypt | 51 | 50 | 2% |
| Iceland | 50 | 54 | -7.4% |
| Romania | 48 | 50 | -4% |
| Romania | 48 | 50 | -4% |
| Morocco | 48 | 54 | -11.1% |
| Bermuda | 44 | 38 | 15.8% |
| Monaco | 37 | 27 | 37% |
| Philippines | 35 | 34 | 2.9% |
| Virgin Islands, British | 34 | 27 | 25.9% |
| Iran | 32 | 4 | 700% |
| Argentina | 31 | 30 | 3.3% |
| Cayman Islands | 28 | 28 | 0% |
| Latvia | 27 | 91 | -70.3% |
| Latvia | 27 | 91 | -70.3% |
| Bahamas | 25 | 18 | 38.9% |
| Serbia | 22 | 31 | -29% |
| Kazakhstan | 20 | 19 | 5.3% |
| Sri Lanka | 18 | 14 | 28.6% |
| Costa Rica | 16 | 11 | 45.5% |
| Qatar | 16 | 29 | -44.8% |
| Hong Kong | 16 | 16 | 0% |
| Belarus | 15 | 20 | -25% |
| Indonesia | 15 | 16 | -6.3% |
| Panama | 15 | 14 | 7.1% |
| Peru | 13 | 14 | -7.1% |
| Ecuador | 12 | 17 | -29.4% |
| Uruguay | 11 | 11 | 0% |
| Nigeria | 9 | 7 | 28.6% |
| Kenya | 8 | 7 | 14.3% |
| Kuwait | 8 | 2 | 300% |
| Tunisia | 7 | 2 | 250% |
| Vietnam | 7 | 19 | -63.2% |
| Cuba | 7 | 9 | -22.2% |
| Armenia | 6 | 8 | -25% |
| Algeria | 6 | 9 | -33.3% |
| San Marino | 6 | 7 | -14.3% |
| Seychelles | 5 | 13 | -61.5% |
| Uzbekistan | 5 | 2 | 150% |
| Lebanon | 5 | 7 | -28.6% |
| Jordan | 5 | 1 | 400% |
| Dominican Republic | 5 | 7 | -28.6% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 | 6 | -16.7% |
| Bahrain | 4 | 2 | 100% |
| FYRO Macedonia | 4 | 1 | 300% |
| Namibia | 4 | 4 | 0% |
| Belize | 4 | 3 | 33.3% |
| Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 4 | 1 | 300% |
| Senegal | 3 | 1 | 200% |
| Laos | 3 | 2 | 50% |
| Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 50% |
| Azerbaijan | 3 | 7 | -57.1% |
| Moldova | 3 | 1 | 200% |
| Sudan | 3 | 0 | |
| Mauritius | 3 | 7 | -57.1% |
| Angola | 3 | 3 | 0% |
| Uganda | 3 | 3 | 0% |
| Macau | 3 | 0 | |
| Albania | 3 | 1 | 200% |
| Curaçao | 2 | 5 | -60% |
| Georgia | 2 | 10 | -80% |
| Gibraltar | 2 | 2 | 0% |
| Jamaica | 2 | 0 | |
| Andorra | 2 | 6 | -66.7% |
| Anguilla | 2 | 3 | -33.3% |
| Saint Vincent and The Grenadines | 2 | 6 | -66.7% |
| Palestine | 2 | 0 | |
| Marshall Islands | 1 | 0 | |
| Liberia | 1 | 0 | |
| Benin | 1 | 0 | |
| Guatemala | 1 | 2 | -50% |
| El Salvador | 1 | 0 | |
| Montenegro | 1 | 3 | -66.7% |
| Vanuatu | 1 | 0 | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 1 | 2 | -50% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 0 | |
| Madagascar | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Venezuela | 1 | 3 | -66.7% |
| Syria | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of | 1 | 0 | |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 3 | -66.7% |
| Yemen | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 0 | |
| Eritrea | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Tonga | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Samoa | 0 | 5 | -100% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Rwanda | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Oman | 0 | 3 | -100% |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Ghana | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Tokelau | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Cameroon | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Burundi | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Brunei Darussalam | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Bolivia | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Bangladesh | 0 | 3 | -100% |
| Virgin Islands, US | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Aruba | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Zimbabwe | 0 | 3 | -100% |
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