This statistical profile documents patent applications in Burundi in total and relative to population and research capacity.
Resident patent applications in Burundi reached 2 in 2020, compared with 5 nonresident applications. The resident-to-nonresident application ratio was 0.40. Patent activity was equivalent to 0.5 applications per 1 million people. Research and development expenditure represented 0.21% of GDP in 2018, and the country had 22.5 researchers per 1 million people in 2018.
Based on comparable data for 2020, Burundi ranked 91st of 155 economies by the resident share of patent filings.
Burundi Patent Applications by Year
Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators — Patent applications, residents (IP.PAT.RESD); Patent applications, nonresidents (IP.PAT.NRES); Population, total (population); Research and development expenditure, % of GDP (GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS); Researchers in R&D, per million people (SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6).
License: CC BY-4.0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
About the Indicators
Patent applications, residents. Patent applications filed with a national or regional patent office by applicants resident in the country, via the Paris Convention route or a national filing.
Patent applications, nonresidents. Patent applications filed in the country by applicants resident abroad.
Research and development expenditure, % of GDP. Gross domestic spending on research and development, expressed as a share of GDP.
Researchers in R&D, per million people. Professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge, products, processes or systems, per million people.