According to the China Green Patent Statistical Report (2014-2017) issued by the China National Intellectual Property Administration in 2018, China exhibits vigorous green innovation activities and a steadily increasing stock of green patents. By the end of 2017, China's valid green patents reached 136,000. Regarding patent applications, from 2014 to 2017, China's green patent applications totaled 249,000, with an average annual growth rate 3.7 percentage points higher than that of overall invention patents.
As a crucial component of ecological civilization, green innovation represents a key priority in China's innovation strategy. Embracing the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," regions across China pursue not only rapid economic development but also economic transformation, integrating economic growth with green development. Green innovation serves as a vital driving force for achieving high-quality economic development.
CnOpenData has previously released databases related to green patents, such as green innovation data and green patent citation/reference data for listed companies/industrial enterprises. However, these primarily focused on the micro-level, lacking comprehensive macro-level statistics. CnOpenData now extracts green patent information from China's regional patent statistics to form the China Green Patent Statistics by Region dataset, facilitating relevant research.
Compared to China's regional patent data, this dataset features a more complex structure due to green classification. The IPC (International Patent Classification) code, as the sole internationally standardized tool for patent document classification and retrieval, identifies the technological field of patents. Based on IPC codes, green patents encompass seven main categories: Waste Management, Nuclear Power, Transportation, Energy Conservation, Agriculture & Forestry, Alternative Energy Production, and Administrative Regulation & Design. Subcategories under these main categories comprise 39 detailed classifications, enabling precise definition of technological fields—e.g., Carbon/Emission Trading under Administrative Regulation & Design, or Pesticide Alternatives under Agriculture & Forestry. Notably, this dataset includes only invention patents and utility model patents, excluding design patents.
Accordingly, the CnOpenData China Green Patent Statistics by Region dataset categorizes data into patent applications and patent grants, processed separately based on main categories and subcategories of green patents. It further distinguishes province-level and city-level tables, offering detailed and flexible structures to meet multidimensional statistical needs.
Data Features
- Divided by province and city according to 2020 administrative region codes, with month as the smallest statistical unit. Covers 34 provincial-level administrative regions (including 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities, and 2 special administrative regions), providing granular statistics on green patent applications and grants nationwide.
- Beyond identifying the detailed address of the primary patent applicant, this database accurately identifies and distinguishes addresses of other patent applicants.
- For patents with multiple IPC codes, all IPC classifications are identified, categorized under corresponding green patent classifications, and counted under respective main categories and subcategories.
- Adheres to the latest WIPO green patent classification standards, updating all patent IPC codes to the most recent revisions.
Time Coverage
1985–2025.12.31
Data Structure
Database Usage Guide
CnOpenData: Understanding IPC Classification Codes
WIPO: Green Patent Classification Standards
Field Description
Sample Data
Due to the extensive tables, only patent application data is displayed here.
Provincial Green Patent Applications in China—by Main Category
City-Level Green Patent Applications in China—by Main Category
Provincial Green Patent Applications in China—by Subcategory
City-Level Green Patent Applications in China—by Subcategory
Related Literature
- Tao Feng, Zhao Jinyu & Zhou Hao, 2021: "Does Environmental Regulation Achieve 'Quantity Increase and Quality Improvement' in Green Technology Innovation? Evidence from the Environmental Target Responsibility System," China Industrial Economics, No. 2.
- Li Qingyuan & Xiao Zehua, 2020: "Heterogeneous Environmental Regulation Tools and Incentives for Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from Green Patents of Listed Companies," Economic Research Journal, No. 9.
- Qi Shaozhou, Lin Shen & Cui Jingbo, 2018: "Can Environmental Rights Trading Markets Induce Green Innovation? Evidence from Green Patent Data of Chinese Listed Companies," Economic Research Journal, No. 12.
- Josh Lerner & Amit Seru, 2021: "The Use and Misuse of Patent Data: Issues for Finance and Beyond," The Review of Financial Studies.
Data Update Frequency
Annual updates