Analytics, Education and Science, EU – Baltic States, Latvia

Researchers who left Latvia from 2007 to 2012 filed 480 patents abroad, which is 9.6% of all patents filed by persons born in Latvia. This is one of the lowest percentages across the countries included in "The Economist's" study.

Based on data from the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Monetary Fund's data on countries' gross domestic product, "The Economist" concludes that poor countries lose their inventors who file their patents in other countries.

"Poor countries often complain that their best minds are draining away – and for the most part they are right. The poorer the country, the larger the proportion of inventors who push off," notes the magazine.

Between 2007 and 2012, for example, 86% of Vietnam-born people who filed for patents did so while working outside Vietnam. By contrast, only 8% of Norwegian-born inventors were living outside Norway when they applied for patents.

Small nations like Cyprus, Iceland and Luxembourg export a lot of inventors as academic and business opportunities are generally fewer in small countries.

Conversely, big countries like the United States and China send few inventors overseas – although India sends a lot.

"The Economist" also says, "As is so often the case, Estonia seems to be doing its own thing. Surprisingly few of its inventors go abroad, given the country's small size and middling wealth."

Estonia-born persons registered 766 patents in other countries in 2007-2012, which makes up 15.3% of all patents registered by Estonian nationals.

The respective figures for Lithuania are 332 patents and 33.4%.