North America Computed Tomography (CT) Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

North America Computed Tomography (CT) Market Trends and Insights

Rising Prevalence of Chronic Diseases

Escalating cancer and cardiovascular incidence underpins durable demand for computed tomography. The American Cancer Society projects more than 2 million new cancer diagnoses annually in the United States, each requiring CT-based staging and follow-up. Simultaneously, coronary CT angiography volumes are climbing after Medicare’s fee-schedule boost, reinforcing investment cases for premium cardiac scanners. An aging Medicare cohort—already the highest CT utilization group—continues to swell, ensuring predictable scan volumes that justify capital spending across hospitals and imaging centers.

Advances in Low-Dose Multi-Slice CT Technology

Photon-counting detectors and deep-learning reconstruction cut dose while heightening contrast resolution, expanding CT’s utility in pediatric and screening workflows. Siemens’ NAEOTOM Alpha gained Health Canada clearance in 2024, opening a pathway for competing photon-counting systems. Canon’s DLIR platform trimmed reconstruction steps by 40%, evidencing measurable workflow savings. FDA data show that 80% of AI devices cleared in 2024 targeted imaging, underscoring a regulatory environment that rewards dose-efficient innovation.

Expanding Geriatric Imaging Volumes

North America’s 65-plus population demonstrates CT utilization rates three to four times higher than younger cohorts, driven by complex diagnostic requirements. Outpatient visits among Medicare recipients grew 14% from 2005-2015 and continue to rise. Provincial authorities in Canada responded by allocating CAD 10 million (USD 7.4 million) to new scanners in British Columbia alone. These demographic realities lock in long-run baseline growth for the North America computed tomography market.

Favorable Reimbursement & Replacement Cycles

Medicare’s doubling of coronary CT angiography rates to USD 357.13 applies immediate margin uplift for cardiac imaging providers. Concurrently, non-compliant equipment now incurs 15% reimbursement penalties under the NEMA XR-29 smart-dose rule, compressing replacement timelines. Combined, these policies accelerate capital refresh across U.S. hospitals, lifting order volumes throughout the forecast horizon.

High Capital & Service Costs

Premium photon-counting CT platforms can cost up to USD 5 million, a hurdle for low-volume centers. Annual service contracts range between 8% and 12% of purchase price, compounding budget strain. Leasing alleviates upfront outlays but often results in higher total lifecycle spend, reinforcing economic disparities between urban academic hospitals and rural providers.

Radiation-Dose Safety Concerns

Regulators and advocacy groups maintain strict oversight on radiation exposure, particularly for children. The FDA’s Mammography Quality Standards Act framework extends to CT dose monitoring, mandating rigorous compliance protocols. Campaigns such as Image Gently influence clinician ordering behavior, tempering utilization in dose-sensitive applications until next-generation detectors become mainstream.

Segment Analysis

By Technology: Premium High-Slice Adoption Accelerates

In 2024, mid-slice platforms captured 44.16% of the North America computed tomography market share, balancing image quality and affordability. Above-128-slice scanners, favored for coronary and perfusion studies, are projected to post a 6.94% CAGR through 2030, underpinned by AI-enabled reconstruction and photon-counting detectors. The North America computed tomography market size contribution from high-slice systems will therefore expand steadily, supported by reimbursement incentives tied to cardiac precision imaging.  

Low-slice configurations (< 64) persist in select rural and emergency settings due to lower acquisition costs but face gradual cannibalization as refurbished mid-slice units become economical. FDA approvals of deep-learning image reconstruction, such as Canon’s DLIR, have lifted diagnostic confidence even at reduced doses, making high-slice upgrades attractive for hospitals looking to future-proof fleets. Photon-counting demonstrates spectral differentiation and is expected to transition from early adopter to mainstream usage within the forecast window as component yields improve.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Cardiovascular Segment in North America Computed Tomography Market

The cardiovascular segment is emerging as the fastest-growing application area in the North American computed tomography market, projected to grow at approximately 6% from 2024 to 2029. This robust growth is attributed to the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and the growing adoption of CT angiography for cardiac imaging. The segment's expansion is further fueled by technological innovations in cardiac CT imaging, including the development of advanced visualization tools and reduced radiation exposure techniques. Healthcare providers are increasingly utilizing CT scanning for non-invasive cardiac assessments, particularly in emergency departments for rapid diagnosis of acute cardiac conditions. The integration of artificial intelligence in cardiac CT imaging has also enhanced diagnostic accuracy and workflow efficiency, making it an increasingly preferred diagnostic tool among cardiologists.

By Device Architecture: Portable Systems Gain Traction

Stationary gantry scanners retained 85.79% of the North America computed tomography market size in 2024. Comprehensive trauma centers and oncology hubs continue to rely on flagship 256-slice and 320-slice rooms for high-throughput workflows. Yet portable CT shipments are rising at 7.09% CAGR, bolstered by neuro-ICU and operating-room demands for bedside imaging. Mobile designs reduce intrahospital transfer risks and shorten door-to-scan times, key performance indicators under value-based care contracts.  

Regulatory momentum illustrates the trend: NeuroLogica’s photon-counting portable CT cleared the FDA in 2024, while QT Imaging began commercial shipments of breast acoustic CT units in 2025. As form factors shrink and battery runtimes lengthen, portable architectures will penetrate outpatient centers lacking the footprint or capital for fixed installations, diversifying revenue streams for OEMs inside the North America computed tomography market.

By End-User: ASC Momentum Continues

Hospitals accounted for 55.15% of the North America computed tomography market share in 2024, supported by large capital budgets and academic research missions. Ambulatory surgical centers, though smaller in absolute spend, will register a 7.34% CAGR through 2030 as orthopedic and cardiovascular procedures migrate outpatient. Diagnostic imaging centers capture overflow demand and capitalize on faster appointment scheduling compared with hospital radiology departments.  

ASC operators seek compact 64-slice systems with rapid workflow automation to maintain high room turnover. OEMs respond with subscription-based software that adds AI upgrades without hardware swaps, lengthening asset life and aligning with ASC cash-flow profiles. Adoption among veterinary and dental clinics remains niche but illustrates ongoing expansion of CT beyond core hospital radiology.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Application: Cardiology Leads Future Expansion

Oncology generated 31.18% of 2024 revenues, reflecting entrenched CT usage for staging and response assessment. However, cardiology is projected to outpace all other segments at 6.71% CAGR to 2030 after Medicare’s reimbursement uplift doubled margins on coronary CT angiography. The North America computed tomography market size allocated to cardiac indications will deepen as AI software such as CaRi-Plaque streamlines plaque quantification and risk stratification.  

Stroke protocols keep neurology volumes stable, while vascular and trauma imaging benefit from minimally invasive treatment planning. Pediatric and musculoskeletal uses are gaining acceptance thanks to dose-optimizing reconstruction. Collectively, these trends diversify scanner utilization and mitigate dependence on any single clinical pathway.

Geography Analysis

Computed Tomography Market in North America

The United States dominated the North America computed tomography market in 2024, driven by favorable Medicare policy, rapid AI clearances, and robust capital access. The CMS coronary CT angiography rate change triggered immediate volume gains, while NEMA XR-29 penalties catalyzed accelerated fleet renewal. Hospital networks like St. Luke’s invested USD 30 million in GE multi-scanner rollouts, underscoring system-wide modernization commitments. FDA clearance velocity—roughly 1,000 imaging AI devices in 2024—keeps U.S. users at the forefront of dose-reduction and automation.  

Canada represents the second-largest slice of the North America computed tomography market. Provincial health plans such as British Columbia earmarked CAD 10 million (USD 7.4 million) for scanner installations in 2024. Health Canada’s licensing of the photon-counting NAEOTOM Alpha evidences convergent regulatory rigor with the FDA. Adoption of imaging AI is accelerating, with market value projected to grow from USD 120 million in 2022 to USD 1.356 billion by 2030 at 35.4% CAGR, a multiplier effect that will bolster CT utilization in oncology and cardiology.

Mexico, while the smallest contributor, is the fastest growing. Medical device imports rose alongside domestic manufacturing hubs in Baja California, lowering logistics costs for OEMs. COFEPRIS streamlined approvals in 2024, slashing time-to-market for advanced scanners and accessories. Rising private insurance coverage and an expanding middle class underpin demand for premium imaging, though public-sector budgets remain constrained relative to U.S. and Canadian counterparts.