Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
[4D1_G2] Eurostat - European Businesses
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
28 March 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
28 March 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
28 March 2025
3.1. Data description
The indicator measures the number of requests for patent protection of an invention filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) regardless of whether they are granted or not. The number of applications include direct European applications filed in the reference year (Direct) and international (PCT) applications for which the applicant(s) opted to protect their invention in Europe by selecting the EPO during the reporting period (PCT regional).
Applications are allocated according to the country of residence of the first applicant listed on the application form (first-named applicant principle) as well as according to the country of residence of the inventor.
The data show the total number of applications per country and per million inhabitants (using the average population of the reference year as denominator).
3.2. Classification system
The EPO follows the principle of assigning an application to the first named applicant – therefore, jointly owned applications are counted only once. Patent applications made by joint ventures are counted in the name of the joint venture and not assigned to either of the parent companies.
3.3. Coverage - sector
It covers all the patents registered in EU countries, EFTA and candidate countries regardless of the economic sector or activity.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Patent applications to the EPO by country of applicants and inventors.
For the calculation of total patents for Europe full counts are applied.
For the calculation of indicators on co-ownership the method of fractional counting is applied. Hence, if one patent application has more than one owner, then it will be proportionally assigned to the distinct countries of the owners.
Data on European patents are provided in one table for application and inventors.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical unit are the patents applications to EPO.
3.6. Statistical population
The statistical population are patents constituting the base for EPO per country of residence of the first names applicant and per country of residence of the inventors (fractional counts).
The indicator is presented by country of applicant as well as by country of inventor:
for the former, the patent applications are allocated according to the country of residence of the applicant listed on the application form. In cases where several applicants are mentioned on the application form, the country of residence of the first applicant listed applies (first-named applicant principle).
The country of residence of the (first) applicant is not necessarily the same as the county of residence of the inventor(s). For the latter, the applications are allocated according to the country of residence of the inventor. In case of several inventors being mentioned on the application form, the application is allocated proportionally to the corresponding countries of residence of the inventors (fractional counts).
The data show the total number of applications and inventors per country and per million inhabitants (using the average population of the reference year as denominator).
3.7. Reference area
Currently, among the 39 countries signatories of the European Patent Convention are: the European Union, the EFTA countries, the Candidate Countries.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The series for EPO patents starts in 2004.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The patent applications to the EPO by country of applicants and inventors (2004 and onwards) is available in the following units:
Total number of applicants and number per million inhabitants.
Total number of inventors and number per million inhabitants.
The reference period is the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Eurostat re-disseminates these data from the EPO. There are no legal agreements in place for collecting this data.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used to produce European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
Annual. The data are published around the end of March/beginning of April, according to availability.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Annual data.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not applicable.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Please consult the free on-line database or refer to contact details.
Eurostat processes the data provided by EPO and recalculates the data per population, due to possible revisions in the data. The coherence between preliminary data, provided one year ago, and the final data are compared. The data are then published on Eurostat’s website following Eurostat’s procedures.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not applicable.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
IPR statistics are recognised to be part of the indicators that allow to measure R&D output and inventive activity, including statistics for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The number of downloads from Eurostat's reference database indicates that users find this data relevant.
12.3. Completeness
Overall, the completeness is good.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall, the accuracy is good.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Patent data for the years starting with 2004 are transmitted to Eurostat 2-3 months after the end of the reference year.
The preliminary data for the prior year are transmitted to Eurostat 2-3 months after the end of the reference year. The final data for the prior year are transmitted to Eurostat 14 - 15 months after the end of the reference year.
Within 2-3 months after the end of the reference period, the data are finalised for dissemination.
14.2. Punctuality
Eurostat receives one annual updates (spring of calendar year) of EPO data. The data are received according to the agreed timetable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Good.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Good.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
17.1. Data revision - policy
To further specify the general Eurostat revision policy, the following revision policy has been established for the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) domain: The EPO may update the data from the previous year (whereafter the EPO component of the IPR statistics are considered final). At each annual update, the denominator of the derived (‘per million inhabitants’) IPR indicators are updated for the entire time series.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The production of IPR statistics has the European Patent Office (EPO)patent data as its main source (with Eurostat population data feeding into the denominator of the derived indicators).
The data for the most recent reference year (T-1) use the population on the 1st of January of the reference year T-1, as the average population figures are not available at the date of first publication during year T. During year T, the final update for reference year T-2 comprises for all indicators: new EPO data for the reference year T-2, and for the derived (‘per million inhabitants’) indicators: updated denominators (using the average population) for the entire time series (i.e. reference years T-2,T-3,T-4 etc.)
Data are only published once they are deemed to be sufficiently complete. All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data. Reported errors that are deemed to be significant are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated. Corrections for other errors are carried out in connection with the annual scheduled data dissemination. This is consistent with Eurostat error management policy.
Million inhabitants refer to the population on the 1st of January each year, and the source is the Eurostat collection of Population.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The raw database at EPO is updated continuously but Eurostat receives annual updates (spring of calendar year) of EPO data.
18.3. Data collection
Done at the EPO.
18.4. Data validation
Done at the EPO.
18.5. Data compilation
Done at Eurostat based on EPO data.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
Not applicable
The indicator measures the number of requests for patent protection of an invention filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) regardless of whether they are granted or not. The number of applications include direct European applications filed in the reference year (Direct) and international (PCT) applications for which the applicant(s) opted to protect their invention in Europe by selecting the EPO during the reporting period (PCT regional).
Applications are allocated according to the country of residence of the first applicant listed on the application form (first-named applicant principle) as well as according to the country of residence of the inventor.
The data show the total number of applications per country and per million inhabitants (using the average population of the reference year as denominator).
28 March 2025
Patent applications to the EPO by country of applicants and inventors.
For the calculation of total patents for Europe full counts are applied.
For the calculation of indicators on co-ownership the method of fractional counting is applied. Hence, if one patent application has more than one owner, then it will be proportionally assigned to the distinct countries of the owners.
Data on European patents are provided in one table for application and inventors.
The statistical unit are the patents applications to EPO.
The statistical population are patents constituting the base for EPO per country of residence of the first names applicant and per country of residence of the inventors (fractional counts).
The indicator is presented by country of applicant as well as by country of inventor:
for the former, the patent applications are allocated according to the country of residence of the applicant listed on the application form. In cases where several applicants are mentioned on the application form, the country of residence of the first applicant listed applies (first-named applicant principle).
The country of residence of the (first) applicant is not necessarily the same as the county of residence of the inventor(s). For the latter, the applications are allocated according to the country of residence of the inventor. In case of several inventors being mentioned on the application form, the application is allocated proportionally to the corresponding countries of residence of the inventors (fractional counts).
The data show the total number of applications and inventors per country and per million inhabitants (using the average population of the reference year as denominator).
Currently, among the 39 countries signatories of the European Patent Convention are: the European Union, the EFTA countries, the Candidate Countries.
The reference period is the calendar year.
Overall, the accuracy is good.
The patent applications to the EPO by country of applicants and inventors (2004 and onwards) is available in the following units:
Total number of applicants and number per million inhabitants.
Total number of inventors and number per million inhabitants.
Million inhabitants refer to the population on the 1st of January each year, and the source is the Eurostat collection of Population.
Annual data.
Patent data for the years starting with 2004 are transmitted to Eurostat 2-3 months after the end of the reference year.
The preliminary data for the prior year are transmitted to Eurostat 2-3 months after the end of the reference year. The final data for the prior year are transmitted to Eurostat 14 - 15 months after the end of the reference year.
Within 2-3 months after the end of the reference period, the data are finalised for dissemination.
