China vs Japan: Annual patents filed in sustainable energy
China
12,744 patents
in 2024
Japan
1,611 patents
in 2024
China rank
1st
Japan rank
3rd
Annual patents filed in sustainable energy over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 12,744 patents against 1,611 patents in Japan, a difference of 11,133 patents.
That makes China's figure about 7.9 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 74 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Japan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10,362 patents | 16,943 patents | 6,581 patents | Japan |
| 2010s | 81,112 patents | 25,788 patents | 55,324 patents | China |
| 2020s | 181,135 patents | 14,678 patents | 166,456 patents | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patents filed in sustainable energy, China or Japan?
- China, at 12,744 patents against 1,611 patents in Japan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in annual patents filed in sustainable energy between China and Japan?
- 11,133 patents, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for annual patents filed in sustainable energy?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 74 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IRENA - INSPIRE Platform (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual patents filed in sustainable energy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Figures in recent years are subject to a time lag; submitted patents may not yet be reflected in the data.