By the end of 2014, China had 10,459 practising patent agents. Beijing accounted for 4,122, or approximately 40% of the total, followed by Guangdong with 1,151 and Shanghai with 844.

The charts show that the number of practising patent agents continued to grow. Although the average number of applications handled by each agent fell slightly in 2014, the number of patent applications generally grew faster than the number of agents, increasing agents’ workloads. In 2013, the average number of applications handled per agent was approximately twice the 2006 level: 170 compared with 87.

The application figures include inventions, utility models and designs.

Practising patent agents and patent applications in China, 2006–2014.
Practising patent agents and patent applications in China, 2006–2014.
Average applications handled per practising patent agent, 2006–2014.
Average applications handled per practising patent agent, 2006–2014.
Registered patent-agent numbers in China and Japan, 2006–2014.
Registered patent-agent numbers in China and Japan, 2006–2014.