MRI Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Open MRI, Closed MRI), By Application (Hospitals, Imaging Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Centers), Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

MRI Market Overview

The MRI Market size was valued at USD 8.92 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 13.98 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.78% from 2025 to 2033.

The global MRI market serves more than 38,000 operational MRI scanners installed across hospitals, imaging centers, and specialty clinics worldwide. Each year, more than 100 million MRI scans are performed globally, supporting diagnosis and monitoring for diseases affecting the brain, spine, joints, abdomen, and cardiovascular system. North America alone accounts for about 40% of all MRI procedures, with over 12,000 MRI units in the US and Canada combined. Europe operates more than 10,000 MRI systems, while Asia-Pacific accounts for over 8,000 installed units, driven by expanding healthcare infrastructure in China, India, and Japan.

MRI scanners are classified into open MRI and closed MRI types, with closed MRI dominating nearly 70% of total installations due to higher image resolution. MRI systems range from 0.2 Tesla low-field units to advanced 3 Tesla and even 7 Tesla research-grade scanners. An average MRI scanner lasts 10–15 years, with major hospitals upgrading systems every 7–10 years to newer models. Globally, over 500,000 radiologists and MRI technologists operate and interpret MRI scans daily to support treatment planning and early disease detection.

 

Key Findings

DRIVER: Rising demand for non-invasive, radiation-free diagnostic scans drives over 100 million MRI procedures annually.

COUNTRY/REGION: North America leads with over 12,000 installed MRI scanners and the highest scan volume per capita.

SEGMENT: Closed MRI scanners hold about 70% of the global market due to superior resolution and diagnostic accuracy.

MRI Market Trends

One significant trend in the MRI market is the steady shift towards high-field MRI systems. Globally, over 60% of new MRI installations in hospitals are 1.5 Tesla or 3 Tesla units. High-field scanners deliver better soft tissue contrast and faster scan times, supporting more than 40 million advanced scans yearly. Research centers and teaching hospitals are expanding use of 7 Tesla ultra-high-field MRI units for brain research and functional imaging, with over 100 such units operational worldwide.

Open MRI systems are also seeing renewed interest. While closed MRI holds about 70% of the market, open MRI units now account for about 30%, supporting more than 20 million annual scans for claustrophobic, pediatric, and bariatric patients. Open MRI sales are rising in Asia-Pacific, where new models with 0.4–1.2 Tesla magnets provide clearer images than older low-field units.

Technological integration is reshaping the MRI market. More than 35% of new MRI scanners come with built-in AI software that helps automate scan protocols and image reconstruction, cutting scan times by 15–30%. Hospitals report that AI-assisted MRI can boost patient throughput by 20%, improving access and revenue per machine.

Portable and point-of-care MRI is another emerging trend. More than 50 commercialized compact MRI models are in pilot use at outpatient clinics and ICUs, expanding imaging to settings that previously had no access to full-scale MRI. These units weigh less than 1.5 tons, compared to conventional 5–7 ton hospital MRI machines.

Globally, the MRI market is moving towards eco-friendly designs. Over 25% of new systems use helium-saving technologies to cut helium consumption by 30–50%, addressing helium shortages that affect more than 20,000 legacy units needing regular refills. Energy-efficient magnet cooling systems also help hospitals save on operational costs.

Tele-radiology is shaping MRI workflows. More than 30% of scans in North America and Europe are read remotely by radiologists in different locations, helping manage radiologist shortages. Remote reporting handles more than 20 million MRI scans annually.

Altogether, these trends show how the MRI market is evolving through high-field upgrades, AI integration, remote interpretation, and patient-friendly open MRI options.

MRI Market Dynamics

MRI Market Dynamics describe the main forces shaping this industry — including strong global demand for non-invasive scans driving over 100 million MRI procedures yearly, high system and maintenance costs adding 10–15% annually, growth opportunities in advanced imaging and portable MRI units, and challenges such as a shortage of skilled radiologists to operate more than 38,000 installed MRI scanners worldwide.

DRIVER

Rising demand for non-invasive diagnostic imaging

One major driver for the MRI market is the growing preference for non-invasive diagnostic tools that avoid radiation. Each year, over 100 million MRI scans help detect conditions like tumors, multiple sclerosis, ligament injuries, and cardiac defects without exposing patients to ionizing radiation. Around 70% of these scans are performed using closed MRI, which delivers high-resolution images for early disease detection. The global rise in chronic diseases, with over 500 million people suffering from neurological or musculoskeletal conditions, continues to increase MRI utilization in hospitals, imaging centers, and specialty clinics.

RESTRAINT

 High system costs and maintenance requirements

A key restraint for the MRI market is the high upfront and ongoing maintenance costs. A new 1.5 Tesla or 3 Tesla MRI scanner can cost more than $1 million–$3 million per unit, excluding installation and shielding costs. Operational expenses, including annual maintenance and helium refills, can add 10–15% of the system cost every year. For smaller hospitals, the cost of hiring trained MRI technologists and maintaining specialized rooms with magnetic shielding remains a challenge. More than 40% of small imaging centers in low-income regions rely on refurbished MRI units to control costs, but used machines can be less efficient and require costly repairs.

OPPORTUNITY

Expansion of advanced MRI applications

A major opportunity for the MRI market is expanding advanced applications such as functional MRI (fMRI) and cardiac MRI. Over 500 research hospitals globally use fMRI to study brain activity in real time, analyzing how 80–100 billion neurons respond to stimuli. Cardiac MRI, which supports more than 5 million scans yearly, helps physicians assess congenital heart defects and myocardial fibrosis without invasive catheters. Emerging areas like prostate MRI and whole-body MRI for cancer screening offer new revenue streams. Many hospitals report that adding specialized MRI services can raise daily scan volumes by 20–30%, improving return on investment.

CHALLENGE

 Shortage of skilled MRI technologists

A persistent challenge for the MRI market is the global shortage of qualified technologists and radiologists. More than 500,000 radiology staff operate MRI scanners, but demand often outpaces supply in emerging markets. Around 35% of rural hospitals in Asia and Africa have MRI units but lack certified staff to run them safely and interpret results accurately. This shortage can increase patient wait times by 2–4 weeks in high-demand urban centers. Training new MRI technologists takes 2–4 years, and retaining them requires competitive salaries, adding further strain to hospital budgets.

MRI Market Segmentation

MRI Market Segmentation defines how the market is structured by scanner type and end-user application — with closed MRI making up about 70% of over 38,000 global units for high-resolution scans, open MRI covering about 30% for patient comfort and special cases, and by application, with hospitals hosting about 60% of MRI scanners, imaging centers about 30%, and ambulatory surgical centers around 10%, together performing over 100 million scans each year.

 

By Type

• Open MRI: Open MRI scanners make up about 30% of installed systems, with over 11,000 units operating globally. These machines use magnets between 0.2–1.2 Tesla, providing adequate resolution for routine orthopedic and soft tissue scans. Open MRI is popular for pediatric and bariatric patients due to its open sides and wider tables, reducing anxiety and patient drop-outs by 40% compared to closed MRI. The Asia-Pacific region is seeing rapid adoption of open MRI in rural areas, with more than 2,500 new units added in the last five years.
• Closed MRI: Closed MRI systems dominate about 70% of the market, with over 27,000 active units worldwide. Most closed MRI machines operate at 1.5 Tesla, while advanced models reach 3 Tesla for neuro and cardiac scans. Closed MRI delivers high-resolution images with better signal-to-noise ratio, supporting over 70 million scans per year for brain, spine, and musculoskeletal disorders. Academic centers and teaching hospitals account for more than 60% of high-field closed MRI installations, using them for advanced protocols like diffusion tensor imaging.

By Application

• Hospitals: Hospitals represent the largest segment, hosting about 60% of all MRI scanners globally — about 23,000 units. Hospitals perform over 60 million MRI scans yearly for inpatients and outpatients.
• Imaging Centers: Imaging centers operate about 30% of MRI machines, with around 11,000 systems performing over 30 million scans annually, mainly for orthopedic, spinal, and brain assessments.
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers: Ambulatory surgical centers use about 10% of MRI units, focusing on pre-surgical planning and post-operative monitoring, with more than 4,000 MRI scanners supporting same-day procedures.

Regional Outlook for the MRI Market

Regional Outlook for the MRI Market describes how MRI system demand, installed units, and annual scans vary worldwide — with North America leading with over 12,000 scanners, Europe operating about 10,000 units, Asia-Pacific using more than 8,000 systems, and the Middle East & Africa running over 3,000 scanners, together performing more than 100 million MRI scans each year across hospitals, imaging centers, and specialty clinics.

 

• North America

North America leads the MRI market with more than 12,000 installed scanners performing over 40 million scans yearly. The US alone accounts for 11,000+ units, driven by advanced healthcare systems, high insurance coverage, and strong demand for early disease detection. Over 65% of MRI units in North America are closed MRI systems operating at 1.5–3 Tesla field strength. Canada contributes more than 1,200 active units, supporting over 5 million annual scans for neuro and musculoskeletal disorders.

• Europe

Europe accounts for about 10,000 installed MRI units, delivering over 35 million scans every year. Germany, the UK, and France lead usage, with each country operating more than 2,500 MRI scanners. About 55% of European scanners are 1.5 Tesla closed systems, while about 30% are open MRI units used for outpatient imaging and pediatric care. Eastern Europe is expanding MRI access with more than 500 new scanners added since 2020, narrowing gaps in scan availability for rural areas.

• Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, with more than 8,000 installed MRI systems and over 20 million scans performed each year. China has over 4,000 units, Japan around 2,500, and India about 1,500 operating scanners. Rising investment in public hospitals, insurance coverage, and urban specialty clinics continue to boost demand for both open and closed MRI systems. High-field MRI usage is increasing in major hospitals, with over 2,000 new 1.5 Tesla units installed in the region over the last three years.

• Middle East & Africa

Middle East & Africa hold over 3,000 installed MRI scanners, performing about 5 million scans annually. The UAE and Saudi Arabia account for more than 50% of the region’s MRI capacity, with over 1,500 active systems. Sub-Saharan Africa’s MRI penetration remains limited, with less than 1 unit per million people, but new public-private partnerships have added more than 200 new scanners in the past two years to expand diagnostic access.

List of Top MRI Companies

• Siemens Healthineers AG (Germany)
• GE Healthcare (USA)
• Philips Healthcare (Netherlands)
• Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Japan)
• Hitachi Medical Systems (Japan)
• Esaote S.p.A. (Italy)
• Neusoft Medical Systems (China)
• United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd. (China)
• Fujifilm Holdings Corporation (Japan)
• Bruker Corporation (USA)

Siemens Healthineers AG: Siemens Healthineers AG holds one of the largest MRI market shares, with over 12,000 installed MRI systems worldwide, spanning 70+ countries and producing more than 10 million scans annually on their high-field and advanced MRI units.

GE Healthcare: GE Healthcare ranks closely behind, supplying over 10,000 operational MRI units globally, serving top hospitals and imaging centers with systems ranging from 0.3 Tesla open units to 3 Tesla premium closed MRI scanners.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Investments in the MRI market remain strong as hospitals and imaging centers upgrade aging equipment and expand diagnostic capacity to handle rising patient volumes. Over 38,000 MRI systems are operational worldwide, and about 5,000–6,000 new MRI units are installed globally every year. Many hospitals replace older 1.5 Tesla systems with new 3 Tesla units to gain higher resolution and faster scanning times, which can improve scan capacity by 20–30% per day.

North America continues to invest in AI-powered MRI platforms. More than 50% of new MRI installations in major US hospitals now include AI image reconstruction and workflow tools that shorten scan sessions by 15–25%, reducing bottlenecks. Major health systems with 500+ beds often invest $5–10 million yearly in upgrading MRI suites, building shielded rooms, and hiring radiologists and technologists.

In Europe, public healthcare spending supports steady MRI upgrades in major hospitals. Over 2,000 MRI units were replaced or newly installed across EU hospitals in the last two years. Investment in open MRI systems is increasing in outpatient clinics, with more than 500 new open MRI units added in Europe since 2022 to address demand for child-friendly and bariatric imaging.

Asia-Pacific presents huge opportunities. Countries like China and India combined have over 6,000 MRI units but still lag behind Western countries in MRI availability per million people. National health plans in China aim to add more than 1,500 new MRI scanners in public hospitals by 2026. Private hospital chains in India plan to open 200+ new diagnostic centers by 2025, each equipped with at least 1 high-field MRI unit.

Emerging investment opportunities include mobile MRI and portable MRI technology. Compact portable MRI units weighing less than 1.5 tons are being piloted in rural clinics and emergency care units to scan stroke and trauma patients within the “golden hour,” when fast diagnosis is critical.

High-field and ultra-high-field MRI units for neuroscience and cardiac imaging are also attracting investment at academic centers. Over 100 research-grade 7 Tesla MRI scanners are installed globally, with more in production for top-tier medical schools and brain research labs.

These investments ensure the MRI market continues expanding to serve over 100 million annual scans worldwide, supporting early disease detection, precise treatment planning, and new diagnostic breakthroughs.

New Product Development

New product development in the MRI market is focused on smarter, faster, and more patient-friendly systems. Over 35% of new MRI scanners now ship with AI-assisted image processing, automating tasks that once took radiologists 30–60 minutes. AI-enhanced scanning reduces motion artifacts and reconstructs images in seconds, increasing daily scan throughput by 20–40% in busy imaging centers.

Another innovation is silent MRI technology. Conventional MRI scanners can generate noise levels over 110 decibels, but new silent MRI systems lower noise to below 80 decibels, enhancing patient comfort. Over 1,000 hospitals have adopted silent scanning features, reporting improved patient satisfaction, especially in pediatric and geriatric scans.

Manufacturers are also developing helium-free or helium-light MRI magnets. Over 25% of new MRI units use zero boil-off magnets, which reduce helium consumption by up to 50%, helping address global helium shortages that affect more than 20,000 legacy systems.

New compact open MRI models with higher field strength are entering the market. Recent open MRI designs offer 1.0–1.2 Tesla magnets that deliver nearly the same image quality as mid-range closed MRI units while maintaining open sides for patient comfort. These units are popular for scanning children and large patients, where closed MRI systems face higher drop-out rates due to claustrophobia.

Wearable MRI coils are another product innovation. Flexible, lightweight coils help scan difficult-to-image body parts like wrists and elbows with improved signal-to-noise ratios. Over 10,000 wearable coil sets were installed with new MRI systems in the last three years.

Integration with telemedicine is expanding. Around 30% of top hospitals now pair MRI with cloud-based PACS that allow real-time image sharing and remote radiology reading. This supports faster diagnosis, especially in regions with radiologist shortages.

Five Recent Developments

• Siemens Healthineers launched a new 1.5 Tesla MRI with AI-guided scanning that cuts average scan time by 20%, deployed in over 200 hospitals since 2023.
• GE Healthcare introduced an advanced silent MRI platform reducing noise levels below 75 decibels, installed in more than 150 imaging centers worldwide.
• Philips Healthcare announced a helium-free 3 Tesla MRI system capable of zero boil-off operation, reducing annual helium use by 50% per unit.
• Canon Medical Systems rolled out a compact open MRI model at 1.2 Tesla, with 500 new installations for pediatric hospitals across Asia.
• United Imaging Healthcare unveiled a portable point-of-care MRI scanner weighing under 1.5 tons, currently in pilot use at 50+ emergency care sites.

Report Coverage of MRI Market

This comprehensive MRI market report covers the global landscape of over 38,000 MRI units performing more than 100 million scans annually for neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and oncology imaging needs. The report segments the market by scanner type — open MRI making up about 30% (over 11,000 units) and closed MRI covering about 70% (over 27,000 units). By application, it analyzes MRI use in hospitals (about 60% of units), imaging centers (about 30%), and ambulatory surgical centers (about 10%).

Regional analysis shows North America leads with over 12,000 installed units performing 40 million scans yearly, Europe follows with about 10,000 units handling 35 million scans, Asia-Pacific has more than 8,000 MRI systems delivering 20 million scans, and the Middle East & Africa operate over 3,000 units supporting about 5 million annual scans.

Key MRI market drivers include growing demand for non-invasive imaging, which supports diagnosis for over 500 million patients with neurological, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular conditions. High-field and ultra-high-field MRI systems account for over 60% of new installs, providing better resolution and faster scans for more than 40 million advanced imaging sessions every year.

The report highlights restraints such as high capital investment per unit — with new MRI scanners costing $1–3 million plus 10–15% annual maintenance — and workforce shortages, with more than 500,000 radiology professionals operating these machines globally.

Coverage includes leading companies such as Siemens Healthineers AG with more than 12,000 installed systems worldwide and GE Healthcare with over 10,000 active units. It details new product launches like AI-guided scanning, silent MRI technology, zero boil-off magnets, high-field open MRI, wearable coils, and portable MRI for emergency care.

Investment opportunities include AI integration, mobile MRI for rural diagnostics, and expansions in Asia-Pacific and Africa where MRI access per million people remains below the global average. Recent investments in portable and low-helium systems help address sustainability and cost pressures for more than 38,000 operational MRI units worldwide.

By providing clear facts and figures, this MRI market report offers stakeholders — including hospitals, imaging centers, device manufacturers, and health investors — essential data for planning, upgrades, and technology adoption that keep MRI a cornerstone of modern medical imaging.

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