Chinese companies have made headway in fintech innovation over the last decade, leading the world in both patent volume and quality, the Nikkei reported Tuesday.
The survey, conducted by Nikkei and Tokyo-based Patent Result, analyzed fintech-related patent applications across 118 countries and regions between 2016 and 2025. Global fintech patent filings totaled about 120,000 in the decade through 2025, nearly triple the previous 10 years, the survey found.
Applications from Chinese companies in the period accounted for more than 38 percent of the global total, the largest share by far, with filings up tenfold from the previous decade. The United States ranked second with a 17 percent share, followed by the Republic of Korea at 9 percent and Japan at 8 percent.
At the corporate level, Chinese firms took eight of the world's top 10 places for fintech patent filings. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) topped the list, with Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Tencent also among the leaders.
The survey found that China's advantage extended beyond sheer volume: the country also took the lead in patent quality, as measured by value and competitiveness scores, with the United States and Japan placing second and third.
China dominates global fintech patent filings: survey
