Trends in Japanese patent applications – JPO Annual Report 2025

1) Trends in numbers of Japanese patent applications

The number of patent applications filed with the Japan Patent Office once decreased in 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak and remained stable until 2022. It slightly increased in 2023 and further increased by 2.2% year on year to 306,855 in 2024.

2) Trends in numbers of PCT national phase applications

The number of Japanese national phase applications based on PCT international applications (such applications are mostly filed by overseas applicants) has shown steady growth since 2016, with a slight decrease observed from 2023 onward.

3) Examination Speed

The JPO has set a target for fiscal 2024 and beyond to maintain the average time required for patent rights to be granted (standard examination period) at 14 months or less in fiscal 2033, 10 years from now. In fiscal 2024, the average time was 13.0 months. The time required for the first examination notification was 9.1 months.

The Average FA (first action) Period is the average period from the filing of the request for examination to the date of first notification of the examination results (mainly notice of grant or an office action) by the examiner to the applicant.

4) Grant Rate

The patent grant rate in Japan has remained consistently high, exceeding 70%, over the past decade.

Patent grant rate = Number of patents granted / (Number of patents granted + Number of patents rejected + Number of patents withdrawn or abandoned after FA) (excluding pretrial reexamination and trial stages)

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Source: JPO Annual Report 2025 | Japan Patent Office