Source: WIPO statistics database; last updated: 03/2020

• The statistics are based on data collected from IP offices or extracted from WIPO's operational databases. Data might be missing for some years and offices or may be incomplete for some origins. The data relating to population and gross domestic product (GDP) are from the UN Statistics Division and the World Bank.

• A resident filing refers to an application filed in the country by its own resident; whereas a non-resident filing refers to the one filed by a foreign applicant. An abroad filing refers to an application filed by this country's resident at a foreign office.

• Where an office provides total filings without breaking them down into resident and non-resident filings, WIPO divides the total count using the historical share of resident filings at that office.

• IP filings and Economy lists patent, trademark and industrial design filings worldwide by applicants from this country (resident + abroad).

• One application at the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO), the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) or the Patent Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC Patent Office) is multiplied by the corresponding number of member states ; whereas one application at the European Patent Office (EPO) or the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) is counted as one application abroad if the applicant does not reside in a member state, or as one resident application and one application abroad (two applications) if the applicant resides in a member state, due to lack of information on designations.

• Application class count: The number of classes specified in a trademark application. In the international trademark system and at certain national and regional offices, an applicant can file a trademark application that specifies one or more of the 45 goods and services classes of the Nice Classification. Offices use a single- or multi-class filing system. To capture the differences in application numbers across offices, it is useful to compare their respective application and registration class counts.

• Application design count: The number of designs contained in an industrial design application. Under the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, it is possible for an applicant to obtain protection for up to 100 industrial designs for products belonging to one and the same class by filing a single application. Some national or regional IP offices allow applications to contain more than one design for the same product or within the same class, while others allow only one design per application. In order to capture the differences in application numbers across offices, it is useful to compare their respective application and registration design counts.