60+ Medical Tourism Statistics (2023)
Medical tourism refers to the process of traveling to a different country to receive medical care that is typically of a lower price. Some medical tourists are from less-developed countries and are unable to get treatment from their place of residence. The procedures can be for health care purposes as well as cosmetic and often be accompanied by a vacation. So where do medical tourists go for their procedures? Our medical tourism statistics explore a variety of different statistics and specifically looks at the most popular destinations for medical travelers and the price difference compared to the U.S.
For more informative statistics on medical tourism take a look at our editor’s picks below.
TOP Medical Tourism Statistics
- In 2022, the global medical tourism market was around $45.8 billion U.S. dollars. This is expected to increase $54.4 billion in 2023,
- By 2027, the medical tourism market is expected to reach $207.9 billion, a increase of 21.1%.
- According to recent data, there are around 50 million medical tourists worldwide annually.
- Thailand is the most visited country for medical tourism with a market share of 22% and receives around 2 million visitors each year.
- $3800-$6000 is the average cost of each medical visitor every visit.
- 20% of the medical tourism market in Thailand is from U.S. citizens.
- Weight loss surgery is the most popular procedure by U.S. and Canadian citizens when they visit Cancun, Mexico.
- India is very popular for medical tourism and the market share is expected to rise from 18% to 20% in 2023
- U.S. citizens can save between 91-95% on a heart bypass by getting the procedure in India.
- Brazil and the U.S. are home to the most plastic surgeries in the world.
What do you want to know?
Medical tourism is a $439 billion global market and every year there are around 50 million medical tourists that receive treatment that they are unable to get at home or for a cheaper price. For example, citizens of the United States can save 91-95% on a heart bypass if they receive the treatment in India. Going abroad for a medical procedure can save a lot of money but often communication can be challenging, and a lot of people are concerned about its risks.
Chapter One
Top Medical Tourism Statistics
In 2020, the global medical tourism market was around $44.8 billion U.S. dollars. This is expected to increase to $54.4 billion in 2022. In 2017, research shows that the number of medical tourists was around 14-16 million.
Key Statistics:
- In 2020, the global medical tourism market was around 44.8 billion, this is expected to grow every year by 21.1% from 2020 to 2027.
- By 2027, the medical tourism market is expected to reach $207.9 billion in 2027 (CAGR rate of 21.1%).
- The number of medical tourists around the world is expected to increase by 25% every year.
- Medical tourism facts reveal that people typically spend $3000-$10,000 for medical services.
- Research shows that every year 63,000 residents from the UK travel abroad for medical services.
- In 2022, Thailand was very popular for medical tourism with a market share of 22% and received 1.8 million visitors
- Health tourism research shows that 52,000 looked for treatment in the UK from abroad.
- Research has discovered that overall the UK pays around £723 million annually more than other EU countries for medical treatments of UK nationalists than it gets back for EU nationals who use the UK’s health service.
Chapter Two
Medical Tourism USA Statistics
Medical tourism statistics reveal that other countries around the world can charge less for medical treatment because they pay less to healthcare workers. Other under the radar reasons include cash payment as well as subtraction of the substantial cost of malpractice insurance.
In the US the most popular conditions treated are:
- Cosmetic surgery
- In vitro fertility
- Weight loss
- Liver transplant
- Kidney transplant
- Spine surgery
- Cardiac conditions
- Dentistry
Key Statistics:
- Every year around 1.4 million Americans will travel abroad for medical care.
- Reports show that Americans can typically save around 40-50%, depending on the procedure.
- $3,800-$6,000 (cash) is the average cost for every medical visitor per visit they take.
- Research on health tourism in the USA shows that South America, Central American, and the Caribbean are the most popular locations for American tourists.
- The number one concern for U.S. citizens who are considering medical treatment abroad is the quality of care.
Sources: Daily Mail, Health Line, AMJMED
Chapter Three
Medical Tourism Statistics by Country
The top medical tourism destinations (based on hospitals, quality, and affordability) are:
-
- Thailand
- Mexico
- India
- Brazil
- Malaysia
- Turkey
- Costa Rica
- Taiwan
- South Korea
- Singapore
- Every year Thailand receives 1.8 million visitors and is the top destination for medical tourism.
- There are 450 private hospitals in Thailand currently, but this is expected to grow.
- 20% of the medical tourists in Thailand are from the U.S. are made up of the largest group visiting for procedures.
- 15,000 Australians visit Thailand annually for affordable plastic surgery.
Average Cost Savings for Medical Treatment in Thailand
| Procedure | US | Thailand | Average Savings |
| Heart bypass | 130,000 | 11,000 | 91% |
| Heart valve replacement | 160,000 | 10,000 | 93% |
| Breast augmentation | 3,500-4,000 | 2,600-3,200 | 20-25% |
| Buttock Lift | 4,000-5000 | 2,400 | 40-50% |
| Hair Transplant | 4,000-4,500 | 1,000-2,000 | 55-75% |
- Mexico is one of the top medical tourism destinations with 1.2 million people traveling there every year for affordable procedures (8/10 are from the U.S.)
- $14.1 million was generated in revenue in Mexico in 2018. AN increase of 133% from the previous year.
- Weight loss surgery is one of the most popular procedures by Canadian and U.S. citizens when visiting Cancun, Mexico.
Average Cost savings of Medical Treatment in Mexico
| Procedure | USA Hospitals | Mexico | Average Savings |
| Angioplasty | $22,500 | $11,500 | 50% |
| Hip Replacement | $28,000 | $12,500 | 65% |
| Gastric Bypass Surgery | $30,000 | $11,500 | 70% |
| Fertility Treatments | $8,500 | $2,650 | 55% |
| Face Lift | $18,000 | $4,250 | 68% |
- By 2020 the Indian medical tourism industry is expected to be worth 9 billion and is expected to grow at 18% CAGR per year.
- In 2022 India had 4.95 million medical tourists and have 18% of the global medical tourism market by 2023 it is expected to grow to 20%.
- In India, the most popular procedures include eye surgery, hip replacement, cardiac bypass, and a bone-marrow transplant.
Average Cost Savings of Medical Treatment in India
| Procedure | US Hospitals | India | Average Savings |
| Spinal Fusion | $60,000 - $62,000 | $7,000 - $8,000 | 85% - 88% |
| Heart Bypass | $120,000 - $130,000 | $9,000 - $11,000 | 91% - 95% |
| Bone Marrow Transplant | $240,000-$260,000 | $68,000-$70,000 | 72%-73% |
| Knee Replacement | $38,000 - $40,000 | $8,000 - $9,000 | 87% - 88% |
| Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty) | $5,000 - $8,000 | $3,000 - $4,500 | 40% - 44% |
- In 2018, there were 1.2 million medical tourists in Malaysia this is expected to increase by 66% to 2 million in 2020.
- The revenue between 2018-2020 increased from $127 million to $362 million by medical arrivals.
- Having treatment in Malaysia can save medical travelers 80%.
- The most popular medical treatments in Malaysia include cosmetic surgery, oncology, neurology, cardiology, orthopedics, and rehabilitation services.
Average Cost of Medical Treatment in Malaysia
| Procedure | UK Hospitals | Malaysia | Average Savings |
| Face Lift (rhytidectomy) | $11,000 - $12,000 | $2,500 - $3,500 | 70% - 77% |
| Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty) | $7,000 - $8,000 | $3,000 - $4,000 | 50% - 57% |
| Breast Lift | $2,000 - $3,000 | $900 - $1,000 | 55% - 67% |
| Tummy Tuck | $6,000 - $7,000 | $2,000 - $2,500 | 64% - 67% |
| Liposuction (lipoplasty) | $5,000 - $6,000 | $2,000 - $3.000 | 50% - 60% |
- Brazil is a top medical tourism destination and around 50,000 tourists come to Brazil every year for medical procedures as it can save them around 30%.
- Brazil and the U.S. have more plastic surgeries than anywhere else around the world.
- Breast augmentation was the most popular plastic surgery in Brazil in 2018 (275,280).
- It is 50-66% cheaper to get a medical procedure in Brazil compared to the U.S.
| Procedure | US Hospitals | Brazil | Average Savings |
| Bariatric / Gastric-Bypass Surgeries | $8,500 - $13,000 | $3,200 - $3,800 | 62% - 70% |
| Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) | $6,000 - $10,000 | $4,200 - $4,800 | 30% - 52% |
| Face Lift (rhytidectomy) | $10,500 -16,000 | $5,500 - $6,500 | 47% - 59% |
| Breast Augmentation (Mammoplasty) | $7,500 - $8,500 | $3,500 - $4,000 | 50% - 53% |
| Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty) | $5,500 - $6,500 | $3,000 - $3,500 | 45% - 47% |
Average Cost savings for Medical Treatment in Brazil
- Annually, Turkey gets 1.1 million medical tourists.
- Around 32% of the patients in Turkey are medical tourists.
- The annual revenue for the medical tourist market is $2.3-3 billion every year and this is expected to grow to $5 billion in 2020.
- Hair transplants, dental treatments, IVF, and cancer treatments are the most popular reasons why people travel to Turkey.
Average Cost of Medical Treatment in Turkey
| Procedure | UK Hospitals | Turkey | Average Savings |
| Liposuction (lipoplasty) | $5,000 - $6,000 | $2,000 - $3,000 | 55% - 65% |
| Hip Replacement | $13,500 - $14,500 | $6,500 - $7,500 | 45% - 50% |
| Dental Implants | $3,000 - $4,000 | $900 - $1500 | 70% - 75% |
| Knee Replacement | $16,000 - $17,000 | $7,000 - $8,000 | 50% - 60% |
| Face Lift (rhytidectomy) | $11,000 - $12,000 | $3,000 - $4,000 | 65% - 75% |
- Between 2014-2019 medical tourism in Costa Rica increased by 400%. Increasing from 3,941 medical tourists to 19,769 per year.
- 6-8% of the total tourists who visited Costa Rica were medical tourists.
- The most popular procedures for medical tourists in Costa Rica are liposuction, facelift, nose surgery, and eyelid surgery.
Average Cost savings of medical treatment in Costa Rica
| Procedure | USA | Costa Rica | Average Savings |
| Heart Bypass | Up to $130,000 | $24,000 | 70-80% |
| Hip Replacement | Up to $43,000 | $12,000 | 60-70% |
| Facelift | $7,000-$9,000 | $4,600 $5,000 | 30-40% |
| Rhinoplasty | $8,000-$12,000 | $3,500 $3,900 | 50-65% |
| Porcelain Veneers | $1,500+ per tooth | $300 $500 per tooth | 65-80% |
- Taiwan is also a top medical tourist destination as it received over 10 million travelers in 2015 and 300,000 of those are medical tourists.
- The medical tourism industry in Taiwan is currently dominated by Asian patients.
- Medical tourists would pay 20% less than they would in the US or the UK.
Average Cost Savings for medical treatment in Taiwan
| Surgery | Cost | Comparison |
| Hip Replacement | $7,000-8,400 | $4,000-12,000 in hospitals in Asia such as India/Thailand |
| Heart bypass surgery | $22,000-30,000 | $15,000 in Thailand and $7,900 in India |
| Knee Replacement Surgery | $10,000 | $12,296 in Thailand and $6,200 in India |
- In 2018, there were 379,000 medical tourists in South Korea.
- 31% of the medical tourists in 2018 were from mainland China and this increased by 19% the next year.
- The most popular procedures are for spinal problems, they have an innovative technology that helps reduce the risk of injury.
Average Cost Savings for Medical Treatment in South Korea
| Procedure | USA | South Korea | Average savings (%) |
| Breast augmentation | 10,000 | 7,000 | Up to 30% |
| Facelift | 16,000 | 6,000 – 6,500 | 57- 60% |
| Heart bypass | 151,000 | 29,500 - 31,500 | 80% |
| Lumbar Spinal fusion | 100,000 | 20,000 | Up to 80% |
| Average of all procedures | 703,000 | 155,500 – 166,500 | 76 – 78% |
- Recent reports have revealed that 370,000 people visited Singapore for medical treatment last year.
- People typically visit Singapore for a variety of different procedures including, organ transplants, ophthalmology, oncology, neurology, cardiology, pediatrics, and orthopedics.
Average Cost savings for medical treatment in Singapore
| Procedure | US Hospitals | Singapore | Average Savings |
| Heart Bypass | $55,000 - $130,000 | $13,000 - $18,500 | 70-80% |
| Heart Valve Replacement | $130,000 - $160,000 | $12,000 - 13,000 | 90-92% |
| Face Lift (Rhytidectomy) | $19,000 - $21,000 | $6,500 - $7,500 | 60-65% |
| Hysterectomy | $19,000 - $21,000 | $5,500 - $6,500 | 70-75% |
Sources: Tourism Review, Hospital CMG, Medigence, Statista, Jet Medical Tourism, Deccan Herald, Wikipedia, Theasean Post, Digital Hermes, Medical Tourism Loan, IMTJ, Statista, IMTJ, We Cure, Mapping Megan, Statista, Vacation Costa Rica, MediSetter, Statista, Medicala Venue Korea, Budget Direct, IMTJ, Health Tourism, Health Care Global, Medical Tourism, AMJMED, WOTMED, Travel Age West, Hotels.com, Wikipedia
Conclusion
Medical procedures abroad are generally safe and viable but of course, there are always risks involved. It is an incredibly popular option if people cannot afford healthcare in their own country. Thailand is the top destination for medical tourists due to its quality of healthcare services as well as its affordability. Thailand’s popularity is continuing to grow and a massive 22% of the medical tourism market share is from Thailand. Medical tourism is not slowing down and unbelievably the number of medical tourists around the world is expected to increase by 25% every year.
