The analysis summarizes annual and long-term changes in United States's patent applications and resident filing share.
Patent applications in United States totaled 591,473 in 2021. Resident applicants filed 262,244, while nonresident applicants filed 329,229. Resident applications represented 44.3% of total filings. Total patent applications changed by -2.3% over five years and by +17.5% over ten years.
In the common comparison year 2021, United States ranked 2nd of 155 economies by total patent applications.
United States 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.