The USPTO’s 2025 patent data points to an unusual but welcome theme: stability. Utility patent issuances held essentially flat at about 326,000—nearly identical to 2024—continuing a plateau that has persisted since 2021. Allowance rates were also steady, generally ranging from the high-70% to mid-80% throughout the year, suggesting a predictable examination environment for applicants.
Design patents, however, tell a different story. The USPTO issued roughly 52,000 design patents in 2025, a record high and a 10% increase over the prior year. This growth reflects rising global interest—particularly from non-U.S. applicants—in protecting product appearance in the U.S. market, and highlights design patents as an increasingly important complement to utility protection.
Overall, the 2025 numbers largely reflect examination practices under Acting Director Coke Stewart and prior leadership, with any changes under newly confirmed Director John Squires likely to take time to show up in the data. For patent owners and applicants, the key takeaway is a relatively predictable utility patent landscape, alongside growing momentum and opportunity in design patent filings.