New data from the European Patent Office (EPO) for 2024 show significant progress in the representation of women in the field of innovation: one in four individuals filing a patent application in Europe today is a woman. This marks a visible improvement compared to 2022, when only one in seven applications included a woman as an inventor.

To recall, the first comprehensive study published by the EPO in 2022 revealed that the average share of women among inventors in Europe at the time was only 13.2%, despite the fact that this number had increased from just 2% in the late 1970s. Still, the report emphasized that a pronounced gender gap remained—especially considering that the participation of women among researchers and engineering graduates was significantly higher than their share in patent applications.

The study also highlighted that Europe lagged behind other innovation leaders at the time: South Korea (28.3%), China (26.8%), and the United States (15%) all recorded higher shares of women among patent applicants. The highest percentage of female inventors in Europe was seen in Latvia, Portugal, Croatia, Spain, and Lithuania, while Germany, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Austria were at the bottom. Additionally, the field of chemistry had the highest number of female inventors, and universities showed significantly higher percentages compared to the private sector.

The latest data, referring to the previous year, 2024, show clear and encouraging progress: more countries are reporting double-digit percentages of female inventors. Spain leads with as much as 42%, followed by Belgium at 32%, France at 31%, and strong results from Finland (29%), Denmark (27%), and Switzerland (26%). However, Germany (20%) and Austria (18%) still remain below the European average.