China surpasses 5 million valid invention patents, shifting from quantity to high-value innovation in AI, robotics and green technology.
For years, China led the world in patent filings. Now, it has reached a new milestone.
By the end of 2025, the number of valid domestic invention patents in China climbed to 5.32 million. China became the first country to pass the five-million mark. The figure signals more than scale. It reflects a deeper shift in how innovation is created, protected and applied.
This rise did not happen overnight.
China spent 31 years reaching its first one million valid invention patents. However, the jump from four million to five million took only 19 months. Innovation cycles are clearly shortening.
Behind the acceleration stands stronger R&D investment, tighter intellectual property protection and a more efficient examination system. Today, the average review period for invention patents is about 15 months.
At the same time, the structure of patents is changing.
Growth no longer comes from numbers alone. Instead, it increasingly comes from quality.
High-value invention patents now total 2.292 million. Roughly 70 per cent concentrate in strategic emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, robotics, new materials and green technologies.
China holds around 60 per cent of global AI patents and close to two-thirds of global robotics patents. In green and low-carbon technologies, it has ranked first in PCT international patent applications for several consecutive years.
Openness has also expanded.
By January 2026, foreign applicants held more than 922,000 valid invention patents in China. Multinational companies continue to increase filings, suggesting rising confidence in China’s intellectual property environment.
Taken together, China is building an innovation-driven economy where patents support industrial upgrading, technological resilience and long-term growth.
Written by Ronnie Yu, Chart Design by Di Wang, additional reporting by CNS, National Intellectual Property Administration of China.
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