Japan’s in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market is set for steady growth over the next decade, according to two new market research reports. Dimension Market Research puts the market at over $15 billion in 2026 and projects the market to be $29 billion by 2035, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%.
Point-of-care (POC) testing is one of the fastest-growing parts of the market. A ResearchAndMarkets report estimates Japan’s POC IVD market at about US$450 million in 2025 and expects it to pass US$700 million by 2030 – a CAGR of 9.2%. Growth is coming from more decentralized testing and portable devices for home care, which help doctors manage elderly and chronically ill patients outside the hospital. Infectious disease testing is the largest POC segment. Blood gas and electrolyte, urinalysis, HbA1c, cardiac marker, and critical care tests make up most of the rest.
Both reports point to the same main drivers: an aging population, a high rate of chronic disease, universal health insurance, and wider use of precision medicine. Across the wider market, reagents bring in the most revenue, and molecular diagnostics is the fastest-growing technology. Other trends include AI-driven lab automation and blood-based genomic testing for cancer. The two reports say Japan’s strict approval process and government-set reimbursement prices remain obstacles because they delay product launches and reduce manufacturers’ profitability margins.