This document has been prepared by the Economic Analysis and Statistics (EAS) Division of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (DSTI). It mainly draws on the OECD patent database and methodological work conducted within the framework of the OECD Patent Project (for more information on this project, see www.oecd.org/sti/ipr-statistics). It presents various patent indicators to reflect recent trends in innovative activity across a wide range of OECD and non-OECD countries.

Patent-based statistics reflect the inventive performance of countries, regions, firms, as well as other aspects of the dynamics of the innovation process (e.g. co-operation in innovation or technology paths). Patent indicators, along with other science and technology indicators, thus contribute to our understanding of the innovation system and factors that support economic growth.

The 2005 Compendium of Patent Statistics updates and refines a similar compendium prepared by the OECD in 2004. The electronic version of this document along with Excel spreadsheets containing the data used in charts and graphs is available (free of charge) on the OECD patent statistics Web site:
www.oecd.org/sti/ipr-statistics