South Korea Leads World in AI Patents Per Capita

South Korea ranked first globally for artificial intelligence patent filings per capita in 2024, according to the 2026 AI Index Report published by Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI Institute.

The report indicates that South Korea recorded 14.31 AI patent filings per 100,000 people, the highest rate among the countries surveyed. This marks the second consecutive year that the country has maintained the top position in this metric.

Global AI Patent Distribution

Other nations following South Korea in AI patents per capita include:

• Luxembourg: 12.25 filings per 100,000 people
• China: 6.95 filings per 100,000 people
• United States: 4.68 filings per 100,000 people
• Japan: 4.3 filings per 100,000 people

While South Korea leads in per capita innovation, the total volume of global AI patents is dominated by China and the United States. China accounted for 74.24% of all AI patents worldwide, while the United States accounted for 12.06%.

AI Model Development and Adoption

South Korea ranked third globally in the number of notable AI models released in 2025, producing five models. This is an increase from the fourth-place position held by the country the previous year. In comparison, the United States led the ranking with 50 models, and China followed with 30.

Other countries such as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom each produced one notable AI model in 2025.

The report also tracked AI usage rates and adoption. South Korea recorded the sharpest increase in AI use among 30 surveyed countries, with its usage rate rising from 25.9% in the first half of 2024 to 30.7% in the second half of 2024, an increase of 4.8 percentage points.

In terms of overall usage ranking, South Korea rose from 25th place in the first half of 2025 to 18th place in the second half of 2025.

The highest overall AI adoption rates were recorded in the following countries:

• United Arab Emirates: 64%
• Singapore: 60.9%
• Norway: 46.4%
• Ireland: 44.6%

Industrial Infrastructure and Robotics

South Korea ranked fourth globally in industrial robot installations, with 30,600 units. The leaders in this sector include China with 295,000 units, Japan with 44,500 units, and the United States with 34,200 units.

The number of countries possessing government-backed supercomputing clusters increased to 44 following significant AI infrastructure investments in Central Asia and Europe in 2025.

Legal Frameworks and Policy

Among G20 nations, South Korea ranked second in the number of AI-related laws passed between 2016 and 2025, with 17 cases. The report identified the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence as a primary example of the country’s efforts to establish a national foundation for the AI industry and build trust.

Strategic Global Trends

Stanford researchers noted that China has nearly closed the performance gap with the United States in AI. China has shown specific strength in physical AI fields, including autonomous robotics, research papers, and patents.

The United States continues to maintain advantages in AI semiconductors, infrastructure, and capital.

The 2026 AI Index is now in its ninth year and serves as a data-based benchmark for tracking the global AI industry.