Title page 1

Contents 4

Acknowledgments 6

Further information 6

Online resources 6

Contact information 6

Key numbers for 2025 7

A. Statistics on the international phase: PCT applications 8

Highlights 8

Global trends in PCT applications 14

A1. Trend in filings of PCT applications, 2011-2025 14

A2. Distribution of PCT applications by region, 2015 and 2025 14

A3. Distribution of PCT applications by technology sector, 2015 and 2025 14

PCT applications by receiving office 15

A4. PCT applications for the top 20 receiving offices, 2025 15

A5. PCT applications for selected receiving offices of low- and middle-income countries, 2025 15

PCT applications by origin 16

A6. Distribution of PCT applications by region and origin, 2025 16

A7. Trend in PCT applications for the top five origins, 1979-2025 16

A8. PCT applications for the top 20 origins, 2025 16

A9. PCT applications for the top origins by region, 2023-2025 17

A10. Conversion ratio of direct resident patent applications to PCT applications for the top 20 origins, 2025 18

PCT applications by applicant type 18

A11. Distribution of PCT applications by applicant type, 2011-2025 18

A12. Distribution of PCT applications by applicant type for the top 20 origins by income group, 2025 19

A13. Share of PCT applications with business and public sector co-applicants for the top 20 origins, 2025 19

A14. Share of PCT applications with foreign co-applicants for the top 20 origins, 2025 20

Top PCT applicants 21

A15. Top 50 business PCT applicants, 2023-2025 21

A16. Share of technology fields for the top 10 business applicants, 2025 22

A17. Top 50 university PCT applicants, 2023-2025 23

A18. Top 30 government and PRO PCT applicants, 2023-2025 24

A19. Share of the top three technology fields for the top five universities and PROs, 2025 25

PCT applications by technology field 26

A20. PCT applications by technology field, 2021-2025 26

A21. Relative specialization index for the top 10 technology fields, 2025 27

Participation of women inventors in PCT applications 29

A22. Share of women among listed inventors in PCT applications, 2011-2025 29

A23. Share of PCT applications with at least one woman as inventor and with at least one man as inventor, 2011-2025 29

A24. Share of women among listed inventors in PCT applications by geographical region, 2015, 2020 and 2025 30

A25. Share of women among listed inventors and share of PCT applications with at least one woman as inventor for the top 20 origins, 2025 30

A26. Share of women among listed inventors in PCT applications by geographical region and technology field, 2023-2025 31

A27. Share of women among listed inventors in PCT applications for the top 10 origins by technology field, 2025 32

Top geographical clusters of inventors in PCT applications 33

A28. Top 50 PCT clusters, 2021-2025 33

A29. Top 15 technology fields for the top 20 PCT clusters, 2021-2025 34

Statistical table 35

A30. PCT applications by office and origin, 2024-2025 35

B. Statistics on PCT national phase entries 38

Highlights 38

Global trends in PCT national phase entries 41

B1. Trend in PCT national phase entries, 2010-2024 41

B2. PCT national phase entries by region, 2014 and 2024 41

National phase entries by origin 42

B3. Distribution of PCT national phase entries by region and origin, 2024 42

B4. Trends in PCT national phase entries for the top five origins, 2010-2024 42

B5. PCT national phase entries for the top 20 origins, 2024 42

B6. PCT national phase entries for the top origins by region, 2022-2024 43

B7. Average number of national phase entries per PCT application for the top 20 origins, 2024 44

National phase entries by office 44

B8. Trends in PCT national phase entries for the top five offices, 2010-2024 44

B9. Flow of national phase entries between region of origin and regions of destination, 2024 45

B10. PCT national phase entries for the top 20 offices, 2024 46

B11. Flow of national phase entries for the top 20 offices and the top 10 origins as a percentage of total national phase entries at respective... 46

Patent applications by filing route 47

B12. Trend in non-resident patent applications by filing route, 2010-2024 47

B13. Share of PCT national phase entries in total filings abroad for the top 20 origins, 2024 47

B14. Share of PCT national phase entries in total non-resident filings for the top 20 offices, 2024 48

B15. Share of PCT national phase entries in total non-resident filings for the top 10 origins and the top 20 offices, 2024 48

Top applicants in foreign-oriented patent families 49

B16. Top 20 applicants in foreign-oriented patent families using the PCT System, 2020-2022 49

B17. Top 50 applicants in foreign-oriented patent families, 2017-2019 and 2020-2022 50

Statistical table 51

B18. PCT national phase entries by office and origin, 2023-2024 51

C. Statistics on the performance of the PCT System 54

Highlights 54

PCT applications by publication language and filing medium 58

C1. Distribution of PCT applications by language of publication, 2011-2025 58

C2. Distribution of PCT applications by filing medium, 2015 and 2025 58

PCT applications filed using ePCT 59

C3. Trend in PCT applications filed using ePCT, 2016-2025 59

C4. PCT applications filed using ePCT for the top 20 origins, 2025 59

Timeliness in processing PCT applications by the International Bureau 60

C5. Timeliness of formalities examination, 2011-2025 60

C6. Timeliness in publishing PCT applications, 2011-2025 60

C7. Timeliness in republishing PCT applications with international search reports, 2011-2025 61

Efficiency in processing PCT applications by the International Bureau 61

C8. Formalities examination quality index, 2016-2025 61

C9. Translation quality indicator, 2016-2025 62

C10. Distribution of translation work, 2016-2025 62

C11. Unit cost of processing a published PCT application, 2016-2025 63

Receiving offices 63

C12. Distribution of PCT applications by filing medium, top 20 receiving offices, 2025 63

C13. Share of PCT applications with priority filings, top 20 receiving offices, 2025 64

C14. Average timeliness in transmitting PCT applications to the International Bureau, 2011-2025 64

C15. Timeliness in transmitting PCT applications to the International Bureau, top 20 receiving offices, 2025 65

C16. Timeliness in transmitting PCT applications to International Searching Authorities, top 20 receiving offices, 2025 65

International Searching Authorities 66

C17. International search reports issued by International Searching Authority, 2025 66

C18. Distribution of international search reports issued by International Searching Authority, 2015 and 2025 66

C19. Average timeliness in transmitting international search reports to the International Bureau, measured from the date of receipt of... 67

C20. Timeliness in transmitting international search reports to the International Bureau, measured from date of receipt of the search copy... 67

C21. Timeliness in transmitting international search reports to the International Bureau, measured from priority date by International... 68

C22. Share of published PCT applications with or without an international search report by International Searching Authority, 2025 68

C23. Flow of PCT applications transmitted from the top nine receiving offices to the top five International Searching Authorities and... 69

Supplementary International Searching Authorities 70

C24. Distribution of supplementary international search reports by Supplementary International Searching Authority, 2023-2025 70

International Preliminary Examining Authorities 70

C25. Distribution of international preliminary reports on patentability by International Preliminary Examining Authority, 2023-2025 70

C26. Average timeliness in transmitting international preliminary reports on patentability to the International Bureau, 2011-2025 71

C27. Timeliness in transmitting international preliminary reports on patentability to the International Bureau by International Preliminary... 71

PCT-Patent Prosecution Highway pilots 72

C28. Distribution of PCT-PPH requests by office of earlier and later examination, 2025 72

Annexes 73

A brief presentation of the Patent Cooperation Treaty 73

Data description 77

Acronyms 78

Glossary 79

PCT Contracting States 83