The medical device market is projected to reach a size of 1.22 trillion yuan in 2025.

According to the latest data from the Medical Device Supply Chain Branch of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (CFLP), China's medical device market is demonstrating steady yet progressive growth in 2025. Based on preliminary statistics, the market size for the full year is projected to reach 1.22 trillion yuan. The innovation sector has performed particularly impressively, emerging as the core driving force behind the industry's expansion. As of the end of October 2025, the number of approved innovative medical devices had risen to 377, with the full-year total expected to set a new record high.

Ma Zengrong, Vice President and Secretary-General of the CFLP, stated that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the medical supply chain industry has achieved remarkable results across multiple fronts: innovative breakthroughs are emerging at an accelerated pace, the medical aftermarket is rising rapidly, and the pace at which domestically produced devices are expanding into overseas markets has quickened.

Zhang Yue, Chairman of Aoyou International, noted that the size of China's medical device market is projected to reach 1.22 trillion yuan in 2025—an increase of approximately 30% over the 941.7 billion yuan recorded in 2024. This growth rate leads all major global markets, injecting fresh momentum into the development of the global healthcare industry.

Driven by factors such as an accelerating aging population, evolving healthcare demands, and technological innovation, the medical device markets in both China and the rest of the world are exhibiting a trend of steady expansion, poised to gradually unlock their immense potential. According to data analysis by Frost & Sullivan, the size of China's medical device market has climbed year after year in recent times, surging to become the world's second-largest market—surpassed only by the United States.

Based on Frost & Sullivan's analysis, from 2018 to 2023, the overall size of China's medical device market grew from 528.4 billion yuan to 973.1 billion yuan, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%. By 2030, the total market size for medical devices in China is projected to reach 1,627.5 billion yuan.

Ma Zengrong further reported that, according to relevant data, by the end of 2025, the number of medical institutions implementing smart SPD (Supply, Processing, and Distribution) management projects for medical devices is expected to reach 2,600. Additionally, the number of third-party sterilization and supply centers is projected to increase to 107, while the market for third-party medical testing services continues to expand steadily.

These emerging business models are driving a transformation in the healthcare supply chain—shifting its focus from mere "material assurance" to "service empowerment"—thereby providing crucial support for enhancing the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system.

Furthermore, amidst the deepening of domestic healthcare reform policies and the continuous reshaping of the competitive landscape, "going global" has evolved from a mere "option" for medical device enterprises into a "mandatory imperative" for overcoming developmental bottlenecks. Ma Zengrong noted that since the beginning of 2025, domestically produced medical devices have actively expanded their presence in global markets, demonstrating robust export performance. Industry data indicates that in the first three quarters of 2025, my country's total exports of medical devices reached US$37.007 billion—a year-on-year increase of 5.61%—signaling a continued expansion of their market share within the global healthcare sector.

"The global expansion of domestically produced medical devices is currently undergoing an upgrade—shifting from the mere 'export of products' to the 'export of brands,'" Zhang Yue pointed out. She added that as independent R&D capabilities continue to advance, the competitiveness of domestic medical devices—particularly in terms of core technologies and product quality—is steadily strengthening. Notably, in fields such as medical imaging equipment, in vitro diagnostics, and medical consumables, domestic products have already begun to displace certain imported goods and are gradually gaining entry into high-end markets in regions such as Europe and North America.

Standing at the pivotal juncture between the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the "15th Five-Year Plan," Ma Zengrong suggested that efforts should be intensified to deepen governance across the entire healthcare industry chain—specifically through the "Three-Medical Linkage" framework—and to closely align the coordinated development and governance reform mechanisms of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals. This approach aims to facilitate the transformation and upgrading of supply chain services toward "integrated services" and "clinical value creation," thereby enhancing the overall cost-effectiveness and service standards of the healthcare system.

Concurrently, a new paradigm for "smart healthcare supply chains" must be comprehensively established. Guided by the strategic objective of "building a digital and intelligent healthcare ecosystem for all citizens," efforts should focus on deeply integrating advanced technologies—such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data—across the entire healthcare supply chain. This integration seeks to achieve dynamic resource optimization and a revolutionary leap in efficiency—spanning the entire spectrum from production facilities to clinical settings—thereby forging a modern supply chain system characterized by safety, efficiency, transparency, and traceability.

“We must focus on independent innovation and domestic substitution regarding key core technologies, critical components, and advanced materials, thereby resolving the challenge of high external dependency in high-end equipment and core components,” emphasized Ma Zengrong. “We must support collaborative efforts across the upstream and downstream segments of the industrial chain to construct a secure, resilient, and internationally competitive domestic ecosystem for the medical device industry.” (Reporter: Liang Qian)