According to Fortune Business Insights, the global computed tomography scanners market stood at USD 7.80 billion in 2025 and is on track to climb to USD 8.22 billion in 2026, eventually reaching USD 13.63 billion by 2034. This trajectory reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% across the 2026–2034 forecast window. Asia Pacific was the standout regional performer, commanding a 44.87% share of the worldwide market in 2025.
Key Growth Drivers
The report attributes much of this expansion to the mounting global burden of chronic illness. Rising cases of cancer, cardiovascular conditions, neurological disorders, and orthopedic injuries are pushing more patients toward diagnostic imaging, with CT scanning playing a central role in early detection and treatment planning. Citing CDC figures from mid-2024, the report notes that roughly 16 million Americans live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease alone, illustrating the scale of the patient population driving imaging demand.
Cancer, in particular, is singled out as a major growth engine. The International Agency for Research on Cancer reported that global cancer incidence surpassed 20 million new cases annually as of early 2024, a figure expected to keep climbing. CT imaging is used throughout the cancer care journey — from screening and tumor localization to treatment planning and follow-up monitoring — and expanding lung cancer screening programs worldwide are reinforcing this demand.
Beyond disease burden, continuous technological innovation is reshaping the competitive landscape. Photon-counting CT has emerged as a major advancement, delivering sharper spatial resolution and better tissue characterization than conventional systems. Siemens Healthineers set the pace with its FDA-cleared NAEOTOM Alpha system in early 2025, and GE HealthCare followed with 510(k) clearance for its own Photonova Spectra platform in 2026. Alongside detector innovation, AI-driven image reconstruction is becoming a standard feature, helping radiology departments lower radiation dose, sharpen image quality, and speed up scan throughput even as imaging volumes rise.
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Restraints and Challenges
High acquisition and upkeep costs remain a persistent barrier, especially for smaller facilities. The report references industry cost data showing that a basic 16-slice CT system can run from roughly USD 285,000 to 360,000, with annual maintenance for high-end 128-slice machines reaching around USD 250,000 — expenses that can put advanced systems out of reach for smaller providers. A shortage of trained radiologists and CT technologists, particularly in developing regions, compounds the adoption gap.
Regulatory scrutiny around radiation exposure is another headwind. A UC San Francisco study cited in the report links CT scanning to roughly 5% of annual U.S. cancer cases, a finding that has intensified oversight of imaging protocols, especially for pediatric patients, and pushed manufacturers to meet increasingly strict safety standards from bodies like the FDA and CE.
Segmentation Highlights
By technology, low-slice systems led the market in 2025, buoyed by affordability and a mature competitive field, while mid-slice systems are expected to post a 5.7% CAGR going forward. Oncology was the dominant application segment, projected to hold roughly 31.4% of the market in 2026, driven by cancer's rising global incidence and steady product innovation from major manufacturers. On modality, O-arm systems led with an estimated 67.8% share in 2026, though C-arms are forecast to grow faster, at 7.4% CAGR. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers remain the leading end-user category, expected to command about 60.1% of the market in 2026, thanks to well-developed healthcare infrastructure in mature economies and rising hospital construction in emerging ones.
Regional Snapshot
Asia Pacific continues to lead globally, with China and Japan its largest contributors — China is projected to reach roughly USD 1.60 billion in 2026 and Japan about USD 0.95 billion. North America follows as the second-largest region, with the U.S. alone expected to generate about USD 1.62 billion in 2026, close to a fifth of global sales. Europe trails as the third-largest and third-fastest-growing region, forecast to hit USD 1.40 billion in 2026 with a 5.6% CAGR, led by Germany, France, and Italy.
Competitive Landscape
The market remains fairly consolidated around a handful of major players — Siemens Healthineers, GE HealthCare, Canon Medical Systems, and Koninklijke Philips — who continue to expand through new product launches, acquisitions, and partnerships. Smaller but active competitors such as Hitachi, Neusoft Medical Systems, and Carestream Health are likewise investing heavily in AI-enabled and mobile imaging technology to carve out share in specific niches.
Outlook
With chronic disease prevalence rising, imaging technology advancing rapidly, and healthcare infrastructure expanding in emerging markets, the CT scanner industry appears positioned for steady growth through 2034 — tempered by cost pressures and tightening radiation-safety regulation that manufacturers and providers will need to navigate.