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2024: Global Ophthalmology Diagnostic Equipment Market Size Reaches $2.57 Billion for the Year

At the end of 2024, the costs of the global market for diagnostic equipment for ophthalmology amounted to about $2.57 billion. More than a third of this volume was in the North American region. Such data are provided in the Fortune Business Insights review published in early April 2025.

The study said that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the industry. Due to quarantine restrictions, the demand for tools for examination and diagnostics fell sharply: many people around the world postponed routine vision tests. At the same time, medical institutions were focused on the fight against coronavirus, and therefore other non-urgent procedures were canceled. In addition, the operation of equipment supply chains was disrupted, and therefore the procurement of diagnostic units was complicated.

Another problem for the analytics industry is the lack of qualified specialists in the field of ophthalmology. The situation is worsened by the aging of the population and an increase in the prevalence of eye diseases. In a number of regions of the world, there is a significant imbalance between supply and demand in the labor market in the sector in question. The shortage of trained personnel limits the effective deployment and use of advanced diagnostic technologies, which negatively affects the growth of the market. At the same time, the high cost of modern ophthalmic systems limits the ability of medical institutions to purchase them.

Among the stimulating factors are technological advances, including the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In particular, AI algorithms are able to analyze retinal images with high accuracy and efficiency, identifying and assessing the severity of various ailments, including diabetic retinopathy. The introduction of AI accelerates the processing of large amounts of data and reduces the burden on ophthalmologists. In addition, the development of telemedicine is changing the landscape of ophthalmic diagnostics, making these services more accessible and effective.

According to a 2023 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of visual impairment. The increasing prevalence of these eye diseases imposes a significant social and economic burden. In particular, visual impairment turns into a huge financial burden: the annual global damage from the resulting decline in labor productivity is estimated at $411 billion. In this regard, the demand for diagnostic equipment for ophthalmology is growing, which helps in identifying visual disorders and prescribing timely treatment.

By device type, the market is segmented into optical coherence tomography systems, fundus cameras, ophthalmic ultrasound devices, etc. In 2024, the largest share of revenue was provided by solutions of the first of these types. From a geographical point of view, North America leads, where costs in 2024 reached $0.99 billion. Significant players in the global industry are named:

• Carl Zeiss Meditech;
• Alcon;
• EssilorLuxottica;
• Canon Medical Systems;
• Bausch + Lomb;
• Nidek;
• Topcon;
• Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems;
• Haag-Streit Group;
• Visionix.

Fortune Business Insights analysts believe that in the future, the CAGR in the market under consideration will be 6.4%. As a result, by 2032, costs on a global scale could rise to $4.21 billion.^[1]

2022: Increase in the number of oculists in Russia by 5% to 133.5 million

In 2022, the number of ophthalmic appointments in Russia reached approximately 133.5 million, which is almost 5% more compared to 2021. Growth was seen in both the public and commercial sectors. On the other hand, the sanctions led to a decrease in the availability of paid medical services due to significant price increases. This is stated in the BusinesStat study, the results of which are presented on December 29, 2023.

The published statistics take into account outpatient and inpatient medical care. The rating of the largest enterprises in the industry includes LLC "Three-Z," JSC "Yekaterinburg Center MNTK" Eye Microsurgery, "LLC" Modern Medical Technologies, "LLC" Ophthalmological Clinic "Spectrum" and LLC "Inkerman."

According to BusinesStat estimates, in 2018, the number of ophthalmologists in Russia was about 121.7 million. In 2019, an increase of 0.9% was recorded - up to 122.8 million visits. In 2020, against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant decline: the number of admissions decreased by 17.4% - to 101.4 million. Quarantine restrictions have led to a decrease in surveys in the public sector. At the same time, the decline in the commercial sector was associated with the rejection of "non-urgent" receptions due to a decrease in income. In general, the Russians tried not to visit medical institutions, fearing infection.

In 2021, against the background of deferred demand, the number of ophthalmic appointments rose by 25.6%, reaching 127.4 million. And in 2022, the market volume rose by another 4.8%. At the same time, the deteriorating geopolitical situation had a negative impact on the industry. Instability of exchange rates, problems with imports and payment under foreign economic transactions accelerated the rise in prices for private clinic services. Fearing a shortage of imported and domestic medical devices, patients more often applied to medical institutions under compulsory medical insurance policies, including for surgical treatment.^[2]

2021: Start of artificial corneal implantation

At the end of January 2021, eye surgeons at the Rabin Medical Center Israel successfully implanted the first artificial cornea in a blind patient. After rehabilitation sight , the 78-year-old, who lost a decade ago, was again able to read and recognise family members. In the near future, the operation is planned to be carried out by nine more patients in,, and To Canada. France Holland USA More. here

2019: Human-controlled robot for microsurgical eye operations

Human-controlled robot for microsurgical eye operations, May 2019.