In 2018, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), reached several historical milestones in international patent filings. 2018 Key Statistics & Trends Record Filings: Global PCT applications reached a record high of approximately 253,000, representing a 3.9% increase over 2017. Asian Dominance: For the first time, more than half (50.5%) of all PCT applications originated from Asia, primarily driven by China and Japan. Top Filing Countries: United States: 56,158 applications (largest source). China: Grew at the fastest rate, accounting for 21.1% of all applications. Japan, Germany, and Republic of Korea followed as major sources. Top Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. was the leading individual filer with 5,405 applications, followed by Mitsubishi Electric (2,812) and Intel (2,499).