South Africa vs Uruguay: Annual patents filed in sustainable energy
South Africa
11 patents
in 2025
Uruguay
13 patents
in 2021
South Africa rank
21st
Uruguay rank
20th
Annual patents filed in sustainable energy over time
- South Africa
- Uruguay
How they compare
Uruguay currently reports 13 patents against 11 patents in South Africa, a difference of 2 patents.
That makes Uruguay's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 22 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 21st and Uruguay ranks 20th of 74 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Uruguay | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 172.5 patents | 6.3 patents | 166.2 patents | South Africa |
| 2010s | 483.7 patents | 21.9 patents | 461.8 patents | South Africa |
| 2020s | 291 patents | 13.5 patents | 277.5 patents | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual patents filed in sustainable energy, South Africa or Uruguay?
- Uruguay, at 13 patents against 11 patents in South Africa as of 2021.
- What is the difference in annual patents filed in sustainable energy between South Africa and Uruguay?
- 2 patents, with Uruguay ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Uruguay?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do South Africa and Uruguay rank globally for annual patents filed in sustainable energy?
- South Africa ranks 21st and Uruguay ranks 20th of 74 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IRENA – INSPIRE Platform (2026) – 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.