Germany patent applications
Germany patent applications stood at 42,349 Applications in 2025, according to German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). It is one of the indicators in the Intellectual property applications table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2000 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Intellectual property applications table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany16 | 42,349 | 40,099 | 38,508 | 37,206 | 39,830 | 42,269 | 46,631 | 46,632 | 47,786 | 48,496 | |
| Baden-Württemberg | 15,161 | 15,505 | 14,654 | 13,444 | 13,573 | 13,686 | 15,239 | 14,609 | 14,530 | 14,416 | |
| Bavaria | 12,575 | 11,365 | 10,819 | 10,552 | 11,880 | 12,702 | 14,034 | 14,903 | 15,455 | 15,833 |
Understanding germany patent applications
This aggregate compiles all patent filings submitted directly to the national patent registry by both domestic and foreign applicants seeking legal protection for technical inventions across Germany. It stands as the national benchmark at the summit of the territorial table, encompassing the combined volume of all regional state subtotals alongside filings originating outside national borders. The metric is strictly limited to patents, excluding unexamined utility models, registered designs, and trademark filings cataloged in adjacent rows of the intellectual property table. Furthermore, it counts initial administrative applications rather than concluded examination results or granted patents, meaning withdrawn, rejected, and abandoned cases remain part of the tally.
Because the figures are published on an annual basis, calendar seasonality from corporate filing cycles and administrative office closures is eliminated from the reported time series. Evaluating changes over consecutive annual reporting periods provides the standard method for analysis, as monthly filing volumes fluctuate erratically around legal deadlines and fiscal calendar boundaries. Variations between reporting periods frequently reflect administrative fee restructuring, procedural legal reforms, or corporate portfolio consolidation rather than sudden shifts in underlying inventive productivity. Analysts must also avoid equating national filing counts with total domestic inventive output, as domestic applicants increasingly utilize supranational or European regional filing routes without submitting a corresponding direct domestic application.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this figure represent granted patents or initial filings?
- The series counts incoming applications registered during the reporting year, regardless of whether they later pass substantive examination or achieve final grant status.
- Are foreign applications included in this national total?
- Yes, the national aggregate includes filings submitted by both domestic residents and foreign entities seeking legal protection through the domestic registry.
- How does this count differ from the sum of the federal state rows?
- Sibling state rows capture only filings attributed to domestic applicants with a registered address in Germany, whereas the national total can include submissions from foreign applicants and unallocated filings.