The Korea Medical Device Industry Association (KMDIA) announced on Friday that it has published the “2025 Medical Device Producer, Exporter, and Importer Statistics Handbook,” which contains the latest statistics on the nation’s medical device industry.

The handbook comprehensively covers market conditions, company information, and performance by product category based on the “2024 Medical Device Performance Report.”

The statistical handbook comprises seven parts, including an analysis of the 2024 medical device market, an industry overview, production and import-export statistics by product category, company introductions, and guidelines for medical device approvals.

According to the handbook, Korea’s medical device market size in 2024 was 10.54 trillion won ($7.52 billion), a 1.7 percent decrease from the previous year. However, the average annual growth rate over the past five years reached 8.8 percent, showing steady expansion. Production performance for the same year was 11.42 trillion won, an increase of 1.0 percent from the previous year.

The product with the highest production performance was dental implants, with 2.81 trillion won produced, representing a 6.6 percent increase from 2023. The item has also experienced high growth, with an average annual growth rate of 19.7% over the past five years. Also showing high growth rates were dental implant surgical instruments (+20.9 percent year-on-year), soft contact lenses (+14.0 percent), and general-purpose ultrasound diagnostic devices (+10.3 percent).

Exports amounted to $5.26 billion, up 1.4 percent from 2023. By product, dental computed tomography X-ray devices (+18.1 percent), dental implant fixtures (+16.0 percent), and personal blood glucose test strips (+13.2 percent) took the lead in foreign shipments.

On the other hand, imports decreased by 2.6 percent to $4.61 billion. However, automated system robotic surgical devices (+56.8 percent) and tissue repair biomaterials (+34.6 percent) recorded significant increases. Notably, soft contact lenses and eyeglass lenses ranked first and third in import value, respectively, indicating sustained domestic demand for vision-related products.

The medical device trade surplus for 2024 was recorded at $650 million, an increase of $200 million from the previous year ($450 million). As a result, the medical device industry maintained a surplus for the fifth consecutive year. Total exports and imports for the same year amounted to approximately $9.86 billion.

Innovative medical devices that integrate advanced technologies, including AI, robotics, big data, and 3D printers, are emerging one after another,” KMDIA Chairman Kim Young-min said. “We hope this statistical handbook will serve as an important reference for understanding industry trends and predicting the future.”

The handbook is available for purchase, with one copy provided free of charge to association member companies. Related statistical data can be accessed online through the association’s website (www.kmdia.or.kr) under the “Information Center Yearbook Inquiry” menu or by scanning the QR code on the handbook’s cover.