China cranked out more patent applications in 2014 than the United States and Japan combined, according to a survey released Monday by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

In total, about 2.7 million patent applications were filed worldwide in 2014, up 4.5 percent from 2013, and China was the main driver of that growth. Every year since 2003, except for 2009, patent applications have grown.

The survey results were reported in the 2015 edition of WIPO's annual report on the latest trends in intellectual property activity worldwide, “World Intellectual Property Indicators.”