Diagnostic Imaging Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The Diagnostic Imaging Market size is estimated at USD 48.92 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 60.04 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.18% during the forecast period (2025-2030). Recent expansion reflects sustained demand created by chronic disease prevalence, technology upgrades, and widening healthcare access in emerging economies. Artificial intelligence (AI) now underpins modality innovation, raising productivity and diagnostic accuracy even as reimbursement frameworks tighten. Hybrid imaging systems command premium pricing because of their ability to merge anatomic and functional data, while mobile platforms unlock new volume from decentralized care models. North America continues to generate the highest revenue, but Asia-Pacific is growing fastest as governments fund hospital networks and private players localize component manufacturing.
Key Report Takeaways
- By modality, X-ray systems led with 29.53% revenue share of the diagnostic imaging market in 2024; computed tomography registered the highest forecast growth at a 5.96% CAGR through 2030.
- By portability, fixed systems accounted for an 81.04% share of the diagnostic imaging market size in 2024, while mobile and handheld devices are expanding at a 6.52% CAGR to 2030.
- By application, oncology retained 31.08% share of the diagnostic imaging market in 2024, whereas cardiology is projected to record a 6.28% CAGR through 2030.
- By end user, hospitals captured 62.19% share of the diagnostic imaging market size in 2024; diagnostic imaging centers are advancing at a 5.68% CAGR to 2030.
- By geography, North America held a 41.02% share of the diagnostic imaging market in 2024, yet Asia-Pacific is forecast to progress at a 6.97% CAGR through 2030.
Global Diagnostic Imaging Market Trends and Insights
Drivers Impact Analysis
| Driver | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rise in Chronic Disease Prevalence (CVD, Cancer) | +1.2% | Global, with concentration in North America & Europe | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Rapid Adoption of AI & ML-Enabled Imaging Workflows | +0.8% | North America & EU leading, APAC following | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Expansion of Point-of-care Imaging in Emerging Economies | +0.6% | APAC core, spill-over to MEA and Latin America | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Reimbursement Shifts Toward Value-Based Imaging Services | +0.4% | North America primary, EU selective adoption | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Supply-Chain Localization of Detector Components in APAC | +0.3% | APAC manufacturing hubs, global supply impact | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Growth of Theranostic Radiopharmaceuticals Driving Hybrid Modalities | +0.5% | Global, with early adoption in developed markets | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Rise in Chronic Disease Prevalence Drives Imaging Demand
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading global cause of death, claiming 17.9 million lives in 2024. Growing cancer incidence further stimulates demand for high-resolution modalities used in screening and staging. Annual mammography volumes topped 8 million at RadNet facilities, underscoring scale benefits arising from preventive programs. Aging populations in developed markets undergo more imaging for chronic condition monitoring, while emerging economies witness earlier detection as care access improves. These dynamics lengthen replacement cycles because higher baseline volumes stretch system utilization. Consequently, the diagnostic imaging market continues to expand despite moderate topline growth.
AI and Machine Learning Transform Imaging Workflows
The FDA had cleared more than 500 AI-enabled medical devices by 2024, many in radiology. Algorithms now automate positioning and exposure for X-ray and ultrasound, a focus of the GE HealthCare–NVIDIA partnership.[1]Source: Diagnostics World Staff, “GE HealthCare, NVIDIA Pursue Autonomous X-Ray, Ultrasound,” diagnosticsworldnews.com RadNet’s USD 103 million acquisition of iCAD’s mammography AI highlighted tangible financial value once solutions are validated.[2]Source: Marty Stempniak, “RadNet leaders discuss rationale behind blockbuster USD 103 million iCAD AI acquisition,” radiologybusiness.com Efficiency gains ease staffing shortages while analytics broaden use cases, such as cardiovascular risk prediction. Clinical acceptance of AI shortens interpretation times and produces more consistent reads, reinforcing long-term growth in the diagnostic imaging market.
Point-of-Care Imaging Expands in Emerging Markets
Portable ultrasound and digital X-ray have become essential in remote clinics because they operate on battery power and transmit images via cellular networks. Butterfly Network’s pocket-sized ultrasound demonstrates handheld performance parity with cart systems. Government-funded MRI projects in India illustrate domestic manufacturing ambitions aimed at lowering import dependence. Teleradiology transactions, such as I-MED’s purchase of StatRad, show investor confidence in outsourced reading models that support distributed imaging services. Collectively, these developments widen patient reach, lifting the diagnostic imaging market.
Value-Based Reimbursement Models Reshape Market Dynamics
Medicare cut the 2025 conversion factor by 2.8%, compelling imaging providers to raise throughput or adopt automation to protect margins. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also introduced new dose optimization metrics that directly influence payments. Appropriate-use criteria mandate decision-support tools, pushing vendors to embed clinical analytics in scanners. Systems that lower repeat studies gain financial preference, which accelerates adoption of AI and hybrid modalities that document measurable outcome improvements. The diagnostic imaging market thus trends toward platforms delivering demonstrable value.
Restraints Impact Analysis
| Restraint | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Capex & OPEX of Multi-Slice CT/MRI Systems | -0.7% | Global, particularly affecting emerging markets | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Shortage of Radiologists Causing Workflow Bottlenecks | -0.5% | North America & Europe primary, spreading globally | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Radiation Dose-Related Regulatory Tightening | -0.3% | Global, with stricter enforcement in developed markets | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Cyber-Risk of Connected Imaging Devices | -0.4% | Global, with higher impact in digitally advanced markets | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
High Capital and Operating Costs Constrain Market Expansion
A 3 Tesla MRI can cost USD 3 million, while a premium CT exceeds USD 2 million, figures that deter smaller hospitals in emerging regions. Lifecycle service contracts frequently surpass the initial capital outlay, intensifying budget strain. Medicare’s fee-schedule cut heightens pressure, leading many rural providers to postpone equipment upgrades.[3]Source: American College of Radiology, “Medicare Physician Fee Schedule,” acr.org Vendors now test equipment-as-a-service models, but buyers demand proven return on investment and high ownership costs, which temper diagnostic imaging market growth.
Radiologist Shortage Creates Persistent Workflow Bottlenecks
The United States alone is projected to face a 35,000-radiologist shortfall by 2030. Interpretation backlogs delay reports, limiting effective scanner utilization even when capacity exists. Training timelines require up to seven additional years beyond medical school, making rapid supply expansion impossible. Teleradiology alleviates gaps, but cross-border licensing limits scale. AI triage tools help mitigate workload yet require ongoing validation. Skill scarcity, hence, subtracts momentum from the diagnostic imaging market.
Segment Analysis
By Modality: CT Growth Outpaces Traditional Leaders
X-ray systems held 29.53% of the diagnostic imaging market share in 2024, underlining their indispensable role in emergency medicine and primary care. Currently, multi-slice CT is growing fastest at a 5.96% CAGR because routine lung and cardiac screening protocols demand higher resolution. The diagnostic imaging market size for CT is benefiting from iterative reconstruction algorithms that cut dose while preserving image quality, aligning with value-based metrics. MRI investment focuses on ultra-high-field research applications, though wider adoption is limited by cost-intensive shielding and cooling requirements.
Hybrid modalities such as PET/CT and SPECT/CT gain traction where theranostic radiopharmaceuticals are reimbursed, reinforcing premium pricing. Ultrasound consolidates its importance as AI workflow tools refine cardiac and obstetric imaging accuracy at the point of care. Mammography adoption of 3D tomosynthesis becomes mainstream in organized screening programs. Segments cluster into high-volume, cost-sensitive modalities, X-ray and ultrasound, and high-value technologies where CT, MRI, and hybrids drive revenue upside for the diagnostic imaging market.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Portability: Mobile Systems Accelerate Despite Fixed Dominance
Fixed installations comprised 81.04% of the diagnostic imaging market size in 2024, reflecting legacy fleets and complex procedure needs. Nevertheless, mobile systems are expanding at a 6.52% CAGR, enabled by battery innovations and AI-guided acquisition that closes historical image-quality gaps. Critical care units prefer portable X-ray to avoid patient transport, while handheld ultrasound now supports routine obstetric exams in community clinics. The diagnostic imaging market experiences rising orders from military and humanitarian agencies seeking ruggedized platforms.
Wireless data transfer shortens exam-to-report intervals, compelling providers to integrate cloud PACS for remote reads. Butterfly Network and similar entrants apply consumer electronics supply chains to medical imaging, slashing unit prices and broadening user bases. Regulatory bodies have issued guidance equating handheld performance with stationary counterparts for targeted exams, accelerating procurement cycles. Consequently, mobile systems emerge as strategic growth lever within the diagnostic imaging market.
By Application: Cardiology Accelerates Past Oncology Leadership
Oncology retained 31.08% revenue in 2024, as precision medicine protocols necessitate repeated PET/CT, MRI, and CT imaging for tumor monitoring. Still, cardiology is projected to outpace all applications at a 6.28% CAGR, supported by AI-enhanced coronary CT angiography and automated echocardiography quantification. Payers favor early detection to curb acute event costs, creating incentives to integrate cardiac imaging in routine wellness checks. Neurology continues to tap advanced MRI sequences that delineate white-matter lesions, expanding its contribution to the diagnostic imaging market.
Orthopedic and trauma imaging benefit from 3D reconstruction and surgical navigation interoperability, increasing scanner utilization in ambulatory surgical centers. Gastro-hepatology uses elastography based on ultrasound, offering non-invasive fibrosis staging. Gynecology and obstetrics adopt AI algorithms that improve fetal anomaly detection. Diversifying clinical indications collectively underscore the vital role imaging plays in personalized care pathways across the diagnostic imaging market.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By End User: Imaging Centers Gain Ground on Hospital Dominance
Hospitals represented 62.19% of diagnostic imaging market size in 2024, reflecting comprehensive service lines and emergency requirements. However, standalone imaging centers are rising at a 5.68% CAGR as outpatient models reduce total episode costs and boost scheduling flexibility. These centers invest rapidly in AI-ready scanners to differentiate on report turnaround and customer experience. Specialty and day-surgery clinics adopt onsite imaging to support same-day procedures, further eroding hospital share.
Teleradiology networks supply sub-specialty reads, enabling rural facilities to run advanced modalities without full-time radiologists. Capital-light leasing options allow centers to maintain current technology despite tight margins. The shift underscores a long-term redistributive trend moving volume from inpatient to outpatient settings within the diagnostic imaging market.
Geography Analysis
North America generated a 41.02% diagnostic imaging market share in 2024, thanks to mature hospital networks, favorable reimbursement, and early AI adoption. Ongoing scanner upgrades focus on dose reduction and workflow automation to meet new value-based payment metrics. Europe remains a stable contributor, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and evidence-based adoption; AI solutions that document measurable outcomes secure faster procurement decisions amid budget scrutiny.
Asia-Pacific is advancing at a 6.97% CAGR, propelled by national insurance expansions and large-scale public hospital construction. Detector supply-chain localization in China and India lowers system prices, facilitating penetration of fixed CT and MRI in tier-2 cities. Portable ultrasound fills gaps in primary care, reflecting policy priorities that stress point-of-care diagnostics.
Middle East and Africa invest selectively, focusing on high-end facilities in urban centers while relying on mobile outreach programs for remote regions. South America shows moderate growth as Brazil and Argentina channel government funding toward digital X-ray replacements and cloud PACS rollouts aimed at telemedicine coverage.
Competitive Landscape
The diagnostic imaging market is moderately fragmented. Top players, GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers, Philips, Canon Medical, and Fujifilm, leverage global service networks and multimodality portfolios to defend share. AI integration dominates strategy; GE HealthCare bought MIM Software to add contouring and therapy-planning analytics. Siemens integrates the teamplay digital health platform across scanners, while Philips enhances spectral CT with smart workflows. Samsung Medison acquired Sonio for AI ultrasound, highlighting interest from consumer-electronics affiliates.
Emerging firms address white spaces in handheld imaging, cloud PACS, and hybrid theranostic systems. Vendors differentiate through radiation-dose reduction, cybersecurity compliance, and subscription-based software that align with value-based reimbursement. Strategic partnerships, such as GE HealthCare’s seven-year agreement with Sutter Health covering enterprise imaging, illustrate a pivot toward long-term service contracts over transactional hardware sales. Market entrants must demonstrate regulatory readiness and outcome evidence to displace incumbents within the diagnostic imaging market.
Diagnostic Imaging Industry Leaders
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GE HealthCare
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Koninklijke Philips N.V.
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Siemens Healthineers AG
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Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
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Canon Medical System Corporation
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Recent Industry Developments
- March 2025: Bunkerhill Health and Cleerly partnered to advance noninvasive cardiovascular care using AI-powered coronary CT angiography.
- January 2025: Sutter Health signed a seven-year strategic imaging partnership with GE HealthCare covering PET/CT, SPECT/CT, MRI, CT, X-ray, and ultrasound platforms.
- November 2024: GE HealthCare and RadNet collaborated to integrate SmartMammo AI into GE’s Senographe Pristina mammography system.
- November 2024: Radon Medical Imaging acquired Alpha Imaging, expanding service coverage to 24 U.S. states.
Global Diagnostic Imaging Market Report Scope
As per the scope of the report, diagnostic medical imaging is a common technique to help visualize physical diagnosis in the clinical community. For diagnostic purposes, these systems are used to image the body to obtain a correct diagnosis and determine future care. Diagnostic imaging is the technique or process of creating visual illustrations of the inner body parts for clinical examination and medical interpolation, along with the visual representation of the function of certain organs or tissues. It has a vast range of applications in a variety of oncological, orthopedic, gastroenterological, and gynecological fields. The Diagnostic Imaging Market is Segmented by Modality (MRI (Low and midfield MRI systems (Less than 1.5 T), High field MRI Systems (1.5-3 T), and Very High and Ultra High Field MRI Systems (3T and More)), Computed Tomography (Low-End Scanners (~16-Slice), Mid Range Scanners (~64-Slice), and High-End Scanners (128-Slice and More)), Ultrasound (2D Ultrasound, 3D Ultrasound, and Other Ultrasound), X-Ray (Analog Systems and Digital Systems) Nuclear Imaging (Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)), Fluoroscopy, and Mammography); Application (Cardiology, Oncology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, and Other Applications); and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above segments. The market report also covers the estimated market sizes and trends for 17 countries across major regions globally. The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above segments.
| MRI | Low & Mid-Field (<1.5 T) |
| High-Field (1.5–3 T) | |
| Very-/Ultra-High-Field (>3 T) | |
| Computed Tomography | Low-End (~16-slice) |
| Mid-Range (~64-slice) | |
| High-End (≥128-slice) | |
| Ultrasound | 2-D |
| 3-D/4-D | |
| Hand-held/Portable | |
| X-Ray | Analog Systems |
| Digital Radiography (CR/DR) | |
| Nuclear Imaging | PET |
| SPECT | |
| Hybrid PET/MRI – emerging | |
| Fluoroscopy | |
| Mammography (2-D & 3-D/DBT) |
| Fixed Systems |
| Mobile and Hand-held Systems |
| Cardiology |
| Oncology |
| Neurology |
| Orthopedics & Trauma |
| Gastro-Hepatology |
| Gynecology & Obstetrics |
| Other Applications |
| Hospitals |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
| Specialty & Day-Surgery Clinics |
| Other End Users |
| North America | United States |
| Canada | |
| Mexico | |
| Europe | Germany |
| United Kingdom | |
| France | |
| Italy | |
| Spain | |
| Rest of Europe | |
| Asia-Pacific | China |
| Japan | |
| India | |
| Australia | |
| South Korea | |
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | |
| Middle East and Africa | GCC |
| South Africa | |
| Rest of Middle East and Africa | |
| South America | Brazil |
| Argentina | |
| Rest of South America |
| By Modality | MRI | Low & Mid-Field (<1.5 T) |
| High-Field (1.5–3 T) | ||
| Very-/Ultra-High-Field (>3 T) | ||
| Computed Tomography | Low-End (~16-slice) | |
| Mid-Range (~64-slice) | ||
| High-End (≥128-slice) | ||
| Ultrasound | 2-D | |
| 3-D/4-D | ||
| Hand-held/Portable | ||
| X-Ray | Analog Systems | |
| Digital Radiography (CR/DR) | ||
| Nuclear Imaging | PET | |
| SPECT | ||
| Hybrid PET/MRI – emerging | ||
| Fluoroscopy | ||
| Mammography (2-D & 3-D/DBT) | ||
| By Portability | Fixed Systems | |
| Mobile and Hand-held Systems | ||
| By Application | Cardiology | |
| Oncology | ||
| Neurology | ||
| Orthopedics & Trauma | ||
| Gastro-Hepatology | ||
| Gynecology & Obstetrics | ||
| Other Applications | ||
| By End User | Hospitals | |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers | ||
| Specialty & Day-Surgery Clinics | ||
| Other End Users | ||
| By Geography | North America | United States |
| Canada | ||
| Mexico | ||
| Europe | Germany | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| France | ||
| Italy | ||
| Spain | ||
| Rest of Europe | ||
| Asia-Pacific | China | |
| Japan | ||
| India | ||
| Australia | ||
| South Korea | ||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | ||
| Middle East and Africa | GCC | |
| South Africa | ||
| Rest of Middle East and Africa | ||
| South America | Brazil | |
| Argentina | ||
| Rest of South America | ||
Key Questions Answered in the Report
How large is the diagnostic imaging market in 2025?
The diagnostic imaging market size stands at USD 48.92 billion in 2025.
What is the forecast CAGR for diagnostic imaging through 2030?
The market is projected to advance at a 4.18% CAGR between 2025 and 2030.
Which modality is growing fastest?
Computed tomography is recording the highest growth with a 5.96% CAGR to 2030.
Which region is expected to expand most quickly?
Asia-Pacific shows the fastest regional growth at a 6.97% CAGR through 2030.
Why are imaging centers gaining share?
Outpatient imaging centers grow because they offer lower costs and quicker appointments, capturing volume from hospitals.
How is AI affecting diagnostic imaging?
AI streamlines acquisition, triages studies, and improves detection accuracy, raising productivity and supporting value-based reimbursement models.
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