China is currently the country with the largest number of chemical patents.

Over the past decade or so, China’s number of patents in the chemical field has continued to grow, surpassing that of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). According to forecasts from CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service), in 2009, China became the world's largest issuer of chemical patents and is expected to maintain this leading position for some time to come.