World Intellectual Property Organization Photo: VCG

China retained the top spot in global patent filings in 2024, with 1.8 million applications, accounting for nearly half of the global total. It also ranked first in the categories of utility models, designs, trademarks and plant variety filings, according to the latest intellectual property (IP) report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Wednesday local time.

"China's global leadership in patent filings resulted from sustained national innovation strategies, optimized innovation ecosystems, and accelerated industrial upgrading. These three factors work in synergy, driving systemic progress in science and technology," Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In its annual World Intellectual Property Indicators report, the WIPO highlighted continued growth in global patent and industrial design filings in 2024. Global patent filings grew for the fifth straight year, hitting a record 3.7 million, up 4.9 percent year-on-year -- the fastest year-on-year growth rate since 2018.

China retained the lead with 1.8 million filings, up 9.3 percent year-on-year, the fifth consecutive year of increase and its fastest rate of growth since 2018. It was followed by the US with 501,831 filings and Japan with 419,132, while South Korea and Germany took the fourth and fifth spots, according to the report.

There was a considerable change in individual shares from 2014 to 2024. China's share of the global total rose from 34.6 percent in 2014 to 49.1 percent in 2024. In contrast, the shares of all other countries within the top five declined, the report said.

China also took a huge share in utility model filings, accounting for 97.8 percent in 2024. For trademark filings, China took 47.9 percent of the global share, while taking 58.2 percent of patent applications for designs, the report showed. 

Computer technology emerged as the most frequently featured technology in published patent applications worldwide, accounting for 13.2 percent of the total. It was followed by electrical machinery, measuring, measurement, digital communication, and medical technology - all ranking among the top five since 2012, although their relative positions have shifted over time, according to the report.

For patents granted worldwide in 2024, China also took the lead and drove global strong growth. In 2024, an estimated 2.1 million patents were granted worldwide, up 5.2 percent from 2023. This strong growth rate was driven by a substantial increase in the number of patents issued by the IP office of China, said the WIPO.

China issued about 124,000 additional patents in 2024 compared with 2023 - 27 times higher than the additional patents issued by the US. Since 2015, the IP office of China has issued the highest number of patents globally, surpassing the US, according to the report.

"China has evolved from a mere technology recipient to a key player in the global innovation landscape," said Wang.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's total social investment in research and development (R&D) exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan ($505.6 billion) in 2024, rising 8.3 percent year-on-year and achieving stable growth. Preliminary estimates indicate that China's R&D intensity reached 2.68 percent in 2024.