According to Patently-O's analysis of USPTO data, utility patent grants in fiscal year 2026 remained near 320,000, roughly flat compared with recent levels. The composition of those grants, however, shifted noticeably.
Continuing applications—those claiming priority to earlier filings—accounted for only 26% of grants, a notable decline. At the same time, the share of grants originating from US inventors fell to about 39%, meaning non-US origins made up the remainder.
The figures point to structural changes in how applicants use the patent system, though the source does not speculate on causes. The data come from USPTO utility grant statistics compiled by Patently-O.