States and territories: patenting intensifies across largest jurisdictions
Resident patenting in 2025 was driven primarily by Australia’s largest jurisdictions, where both filing volumes and patenting intensity increased. Elsewhere, movements were more mixed across both measures.
Looking at patent growth and intensity in the largest jurisdictions:
- New South Wales recorded 1,152 resident standard complete applications in 2025, up from 1,003 in 2024 (+14.9%). Patents per firm increased from 1.17 to 1.26, indicating deeper engagement with the patent system.
- Victoria increased from 600 to 638 applications (+6.3%), with patents per firm rising from 0.81 to 0.85.
- Queensland recorded one of the strongest increases, rising from 445 to 511 applications (+14.8%), alongside an increase in patents per firm from 0.87 to 0.98.
Together, these 3 states accounted for just over 80% of resident applications in 2025, and most of the national increase in resident filings.
Figure 2.7
Patent applications by Australian states and territories, 2025
Source: IP Australia; ABS. Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, August 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
Across other states and territories, movements in patenting were more varied, with some jurisdictions recording modest increases and others recording declines in both filings and intensity.
These patterns reflect smaller firm populations, greater sectoral concentration and higher year-to-year volatility, rather than broad-based changes in innovative behaviour.
Australian filings abroad
Overseas patenting moderates further in 2024
Australian applicants filed 8,091 patent applications abroad in 2024, down from 8,659 in 2023 (–6.6%), according to the latest WIPO data (including both direct filings and PCT national phase entries).
This marks a second consecutive year of decline following a post-pandemic surge, suggesting a period of consolidation in Australian outward patenting activity.
Figure 2.8
Patent applications by Australian states and territories, 2025Source: WIPO IP Statistics Database
Leading destinations remain concentrated
The United States remained the dominant destination, with 3,099 filings in 2024, broadly stable year-on-year. The US continues to account for more than one-third of all Australian patent filings abroad.
The next largest destinations were:
- European Patent Office (919 filings)
- China (687 filings)
The 2023–24 decline was concentrated in Europe and several mid-tier destinations. Filings at the European Patent Office fell materially, and Canada recorded a pronounced decline. By contrast, filings in the US and China were comparatively stable.
The role of the PCT system
Australians can seek patent protection abroad either by filing directly at foreign patent offices or by filing a single international application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and then entering national phases.
After several years of rising PCT usage, this trend has reversed. The share of Australian filings abroad routed through the PCT fell from over 70% in earlier years, to 64.7% in 2023, then to 60.4% in 2024.
In absolute terms, PCT national phase entries declined from 5,602 in 2023 to 4,887 in 2024, accounting for most of the overall reduction in outward filings.
While the PCT remains the dominant channel for Australians taking their inventions global, Australian firms appear to be moderating broad PCT-based geographic expansion.