Overview

Table: Medical Equipment Trade in Hong Kong

Value: US$ million
Data Sources: Hong Kong Census & Statistics Department 
(Medical equipment refers to instruments and apparatus under HS code 9018, 9019, 9020, 9021, 9022, 9025 and 9402

Hong Kong’s healthcare system is supported by a dual structure, comprising both the private sector and the government-funded public sector. The Health Bureau is the main government agency responsible for formulating healthcare policies and overseeing the overall public health strategy. The Hospital Authority (HA) is the statutory body specifically tasked with managing and developing all public hospitals and public healthcare institutions.

In line with its mandate to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to residents, HA delivers its services through a comprehensive network. As of the latest available figures (reflecting early 2025 operations or late 2024 data), the HA manages 43 public hospitals, 49 specialist outpatient clinics, and 74 general outpatient clinics across Hong Kong. These facilities are organized geographically under seven clusters to optimize service delivery. The Hospital Authority is Hong Kong’s largest employer, boasting a workforce of over 90,000 staff, and is consequently the largest end-user of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in the city.

As of the end of 2023, Hong Kong had a total of 36,782 hospital beds. This includes approximately 30,636 beds in the 43 public hospitals under the Hospital Authority, 5,294 beds in 13 private hospitals, and the remainder in correctional institutions and other specialized facilities. This translates to a bed-to-population ratio of approximately 4.9 beds per thousand population.

One of the most pressing challenges confronting Hong Kong’s healthcare system is its rapidly aging society. It is forecasted that the proportion of elderly people aged 65 and above will reach 32% by 2041.  This demographic shift is exacerbated by years of consistently low birth rates and one of the highest global life expectancies, which stood at 82.5 years for males and 88.1 years for females in 2023.

In recent years, Hong Kong’s total expenditure on healthcare has climbed significantly. While specific total expenditure figures for 2024 and 2025 are projections, the recurrent government healthcare expenditure (which covers the majority of public healthcare costs) was approximately HK$105.7 billion (US$13.5 billion) in 2023-24 and is estimated to rise to HK$109.8 billion (US$14 billion) in 2025.  This level of spending, which represents a substantial portion of the government’s budget, is deemed unsustainable in the long run due to the escalating demand from an aging population, a shrinking workforce, and persistent manpower shortages. The majority of this expenditure goes towards comprehensive healthcare subsidies for residents, as Hong Kong maintains a universal and highly affordable healthcare system for all its residents.

Hong Kong Healthcare Reform

In December 2022, the Hong Kong government officially launched the Primary Healthcare Blueprint. This significant initiative marks a strategic transition for the healthcare system, shifting its focus from a predominantly “cure and treat” approach to one that is prevention-oriented and community-based.

To optimize and prioritize healthcare resources for those most in need, the government encourages residents to take a proactive approach to managing their health. This involves promoting regular health screenings, advocating the concept of a family doctor, encouraging visits to local District Health Centers (DHCs), and facilitating the uploading and use of personal health records via the “HA Go” mobile application.

Between 2023 and 2025, numerous schemes were introduced under the Primary Healthcare Blueprint. Notable examples include the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme, launched in November 2023, which subsidizes residents aged 45 and above for screening and follow-up care for diabetes and hypertension within the private sector. Furthermore, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme Enhancement demonstrates the government’s strategy to leverage healthcare services within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as an alternative option. Since early 2025, the scheme has expanded to include 12 designated medical institutions in the GBA, encompassing a wider range of services, including dental care.

In March 2025, the Hong Kong government announced a major public healthcare fees and co-payment reform, slated to take effect on January 1, 2026. This reform aims to transition non-urgent healthcare services to the private sector and enhance the financial sustainability of the public system. Under this scheme, residents will experience increased fees for various services, including Accident & Emergency (A&E) services, diagnostic radiology and pathology services, medication costs, and specialist outpatient clinic visits. Crucially, a new annual spending cap of HK$10,000 (US$1,286) on certain public inpatient and outpatient fees will be introduced to protect patients with severe illnesses from excessive financial burden, alongside relaxed medical fee waiver mechanisms. The new 2026 pricing can be found here.  

Market Size

In 2024, Hong Kong imported a total of US$2.667 billion worth of medical equipment. Imports from the U.S. amounted to 24.3% of the total import. Overall, the import of medical equipment has declined from 2023 to 2024 by approximately 6.3 percent. According to industry leaders, there are several reasons why imports have declined. Firstly, the government is applying more scrutiny on costs and are looking for more cost-effective solutions including switching to products from Mainland China and incentive scheme such as the Elderly Healthcare Voucher Scheme Enhancement is diverting more healthcare services into the Greater Bay Area. Furthermore, there are increasingly more positive word-of-mouth recommendations from residents who have sought treatment in dental care, orthopedic procedures, oncology services and general health check-ups.

In 2024, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee introduced the 1+ mechanism to expedite the approval process for drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong. This saw the Department of Health establishing the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation (CMPR), an independent statutory body in Hong Kong to oversee the registration of drugs and medical devices using a primary evaluation approach. In the past, Hong Kong used a secondary evaluation approach relying on other regulatory authorities like FDA, EMA, MHRA and TGA. It is widely expected that by 2025, medical device registrations will eventually be mandatory and expedited with the 1+ mechanism.

In the same year, the Hong Kong government announced the opening of the Greater Bay International Clinical Trial Institute in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Corporation Zone as a strategic initiative to attract and facilitate clinical trial projects from international and local companies. Some U.S. companies are using the institute’s infrastructure to facilitate clinical trials and capture new market access opportunities via the GBA Connect Scheme.

U.S. companies that are looking for market access opportunities must work with a local partner as they will be acting as the company’s primary contact point. The local distributor will be responsible for submitting the registration paperwork to the Medical Device Administrative Control System, developing sales channels and overseeing the company’s activities in the local market.

Leading Sub-sectors 

• Advanced diagnostic imaging equipment
• Geriatric Specialized Products
• Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Equipment 
• Implantable and Intervention Materials 
• Electro-Diagnostic Apparatus
• In Vitro Diagnostic Equipment and Reagents 
• Therapeutic Products 
• Imaging Products 
• Surgery and Emergency Appliances 
• Orthopedic Implants and Instruments 
• Dental Implants and Instruments 

Opportunities

Hospital Authority tenders: Hong Kong’s public and private healthcare development projects represent outstanding business opportunities for U.S. suppliers of hospital systems, medical devices, laboratory equipment, instruments, and hospital supplies. The Hospital Authority procures through public tendering process. Check for Hospital Authority’s notices and invitations for expression of interest.

Greater Bay Area (GBA) Opportunities: Hong Kong registered medical devices have an advantage of being selected for market access into Greater Bay Area’s medical institutions under the GBA Connect Scheme. The scheme allows designated healthcare institutions in the GBA to use Hong Kong- registered medical devices and drugs for urgent clinical needs bypassing the full National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) registration in China.  As of 2025, there are 45 recognized healthcare institutions in the Greater Bay Area benefiting from this arrangement and 51 Hong Kong registered drugs and 63 medical devices have been approved.

• Clinical Trials: The newly developed Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute offers a one-stop clinical trial infrastructure for companies to run cross-boundary international standard clinical trials taking advantage of Greater Bay’s large population of over 86 million people and access to key partners in clinical trial research.
• Future Hospital Development: In 2016, the Hospital Authority announced the Ten-Year Hospital Development Plans which saw 16 new projects worth HK$200 billion (US$26 billion). These projects include building the New Acute Hospital at Kai Tak, which is scheduled to be completed by 2026, a huge project which will have 2,400 hospital beds and 37 operating theatres, the redevelopment of Kwong Wah Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital, and the expansion of North District Hospital.
• Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Centers: To cope with the demands of caring for older people, the Hong Kong government has committed to increasing the number of rehabilitation service centers and elderly day care from the current 37,300 to 39,900 by 2029. The Hong Kong government launched the Innovation and Technology Investment Fund in 2019 whose objective is to subsidize the procurement of gerontology related technology and equipment. This includes a wide array of devices like rehabilitation robots, smart nursing beds, wearable health monitors, fall detection systems, and tele-rehabilitation solutions.

Macau Overview

Based on the latest numbers released by the Government of Macau Special Administrative Region, in early 2025, Macau has a population of 721,922. Similarly to Hong Kong, the 65 and above population has continued to rise, reaching 14.6% of the population by the end of 2024. This demographic trend continues to be a key driver for healthcare policy and infrastructure development.

Macau residents enjoy universal health coverage and benefits. Residents are entitled to free services at the public health centers and receive supplementary check-ups and treatments at the public hospital, Conde S. Januario Hospital. In the private healthcare sector, Macau has four hospitals: Macau University Hospital (managed by the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation), Kiang Wu Hospital, and Macau Yinkui Hospital, alongside the newly opened Macao Union Hospital (which also incorporates private services).

A major development in Macau’s healthcare landscape is the construction and soft opening on September 16, 2024, of The Macao Medical Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Macao Union Hospital). This facility, managed by Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from Beijing, is a public-private partnership operating on a non-profit model where the facilities are government-owned, but PUMCH oversees its day-to-day operation and management. This substantial facility provides 852 hospital beds, 26 operating rooms, a nursing school, and a central laboratory with advanced equipment for treating complex and rare diseases, including cancer. Since its soft opening, the hospital has progressively expanded its services, including establishing numerous specialty outpatient clinics and commencing inpatient admissions and emergency services in early 2025.

As of the end of 2024, Macau had 5 hospitals in total, providing 1,779 inpatient beds prior to the full operationalization of Macao Union Hospital’s beds. The number of primary health care establishments (including public health centers and private clinics) reached 733 as well.

Healthcare has been identified by the Macau government as one of the key economic sectors to diversify its reliance on the gaming industry.  In the 2025 Policy Address, the Chief Executive of Macau announced plans to pivot further into medical tourism by leveraging the new Macao Union Hospital.

The announcement outlined medical services, health tourism, and Traditional Chinese Medicine as sub-sectors of focus. Casino operators are strongly encouraged to invest substantially in integrated resort medical facilities by establishing medical services, wellness centers, and health-related MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events within their properties to support this diversification strategy.  

Companies that can align with Macau’s pivot to healthcare industry strategy and address the specific needs of its aging and health-conscious population, often through local partnerships, are best positioned to capitalize on market opportunities

Agents and Distributors: Given the relatively smaller size of Macau and the proximity to Hong Kong, the recommended practice for U.S. exporters of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment / devices is to expand into Macau using Hong Kong-based agents and distributors. The U.S. Commercial Service has contact with Hong Kong distributors of healthcare products and can introduce U.S. companies to these distributors. Many of Hong Kong’s medical agents/distributors have established networks and excellent relationships with the medical industry in Macau. Local agents and distributors can be helpful in marketing U.S. healthcare products in Hong Kong and in mainland China.  

U.S. companies are required to appoint a Locally Responsible Person (LRP), who serve as intermediaries and regularly communicate with end-users, importers, the Hong Kong Government, can help U.S. exporters to ensure safe and efficacious use of their products in Hong Kong and Macau.

An LRP can be the Hong Kong distributor or an independent third party but must be based in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Trade Shows

• HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair
• Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair
• Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium
  Hong Kong International Biotechnology Forum & Exhibition (Bio Hong Kong) World Cancer Congress 

Government Agencies

• Hong Kong Department of Health Drug Office 
• Hong Kong Department of Health - Medical Device Control Office 
• Hong Kong Hospital Authority 
• Macau Health Bureau

Trade Associations

• Hong Kong Association of Pharmaceutical Industry
• The Hong Kong Association of Rehabilitation Medicine (HKARM)
• Hong Kong Medtech Association  
• The Hong Kong Medical Association 
• The Private Hospitals Association 
   

For more information about this industry sector, please contact:
U.S. Commercial Service, Hong Kong
Natalie Tong, Commercial Specialist 
Email: natalie.tong@trade.gov