International patent filings down in 2023 for the first time in 14 years. Economic uncertainties and especially rising interest rates are considered the main reasons for this decline.
China remained at the top of the ranking, with 69,610 filings, but it is a drop of 0.6% compared to 2022. The United States recorded a more marked decline of 5.3% but remains in second position with 55,678 deposits. They are followed by Japan, South Korea and Germany. South Korea is the only one of the big five in the ranking to have filed more patents than in 2022.