Technology rankings
Mobile subscriptions, broadband penetration, patent filings, scientific output — these rankings track how countries innovate and connect. See who leads in digital infrastructure, who is catching up, and what separates the world's technology frontrunners.
Countries by Scientific and technical journal articles
China led all countries in scientific and technical journal articles in 2022 with 898,949 articles, more than double the second-ranked United States at 457,335. At the other end, Nauru recorded just 0.27 articles. That gap of over 332 million percentage points in spread reflects the extreme concentration of scientific output among a small number of countries.
Countries by Patent applications, nonresidents
The United States ranked first for nonresident patent applications in 2021, receiving 329,229 filings, more than double the 159,019 recorded by second-ranked China. At the other end of the ranking, Albania, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Estonia, Malawi, and Tanzania each recorded just 1 application. The gap between the top and bottom reflects the extreme concentration of international patent activity in a small number of jurisdictions.
Countries by Patent applications, residents
China ranked 1st in resident patent applications in 2021 with 1,426,644 filings, more than five times the United States at 2nd with 262,244. At the bottom of the 148-country ranking, twelve countries each recorded just 1 application. The gap between the top and bottom of this ranking spans over 142 million percent.
Countries by Trademark applications, nonresident, by count
The United States ranked first globally for nonresident trademark applications in 2021, recording 347,735 filings — more than 2,480 times the 140 logged by Somalia at rank 156. China ranked second at 261,982, and the United Kingdom third at 227,170. The gap between the top and bottom reflects wide differences in how actively foreign entities target specific markets for intellectual property protection.
Countries by Trademark applications, resident, by count
China recorded 9,192,753 resident trademark applications in 2021, placing it first by an enormous margin over second-ranked United States at 551,764. At the other end, Tonga filed just 3 applications, and Sao Tome and Principe filed 4. The gap between first and last spans more than 300 million percent.
Countries by Mobile cellular subscriptions
China tops the global ranking of mobile cellular subscriptions with 1,824,420,000 subscriptions in 2023, followed by India at 1,158,550,000. At the other end, Tuvalu records just 9,878 subscriptions, rank 210 of 210. The gap between first and last spans more than 18 billion percent, reflecting the vast differences in population size and market scale across the 210 countries covered.
Countries by Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)
Hong Kong SAR, China ranks 1st globally for mobile cellular subscriptions with 319.49 per 100 people in 2023, meaning the territory has more than three active subscriptions for every resident. At the other end, Micronesia, Fed. Sts. ranks 210th with just 19.99 per 100. That gap of nearly 300 percentage points reflects wide variation in mobile infrastructure, population density, and multiple-SIM usage patterns across 210 countries.
Countries by Fixed telephone subscriptions
China ranks first globally with 179,414,000 fixed telephone subscriptions, more than double the United States at rank 2 with 84,830,000. At the other end, six countries including Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guinea report zero subscriptions. The gap between the top and bottom of this ranking spans nearly 180 million lines.
Countries by Fixed broadband subscriptions
China recorded 636,306,000 fixed broadband subscriptions in 2023, ranking first globally by a wide margin over the United States at 131,028,000 (rank 2). At the opposite end, Chad recorded zero subscriptions (rank 208). The gap between the top and bottom of this ranking spans more than 636 million connections.
Countries by Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people)
Gibraltar ranks first in fixed broadband subscriptions with 60.97 per 100 people, meaning subscriptions effectively outnumber residents. Chad sits at the opposite end with a recorded value of zero. The gap between first and last spans the full range of global connectivity infrastructure.