China Telemedicine Market

China Telemedicine Market Size and Share:

The China telemedicine market size was valued at USD 7.14 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group estimates the market to reach USD 54.77 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 23.50% during 2025-2033. Key factors driving the market include growing demand for accessible healthcare, especially in rural areas, and the government’s strong digital health initiatives. Advances in AI, 5G, and big data technologies are improving service quality and reach. Additionally, an aging population, rising chronic diseases, and increased internet penetration are contributing to the expanding China telemedicine market share.

China telemedicine market is fueled by growing demand for health care services, especially in rural and underserved areas. China's vast and aging population is putting a huge burden on the health care system, and the implementation of telemedicine solutions to fill the health care access gap is encouraged. The high level of government support for digital health technologies as well as the national healthcare reforms for enhancing accessibility of healthcare, telemedicine has become an indispensable tool.

Another key factor contributing to the China telemedicine market growth is advancements in digital health technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, and cloud computing. These innovations are enabling more efficient and accurate diagnosis, treatment plans, and patient monitoring. As AI-powered platforms and remote patient monitoring devices become increasingly sophisticated, telemedicine solutions are able to provide a higher level of care, improving patient outcomes. For instance, as per industry reports, in November 2024, China announced the launch of a pilot program to implement new standards for virtual primary care, partnering with hospitals and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. These standards will be based on the Ping An Family Doctor service, which uses AI to connect patients with certified GPs for consultations, referrals, and health monitoring.

China Telemedicine Market Trends:

Aging Population

As people age, the demand for healthcare services increases due to chronic conditions, age-related ailments, and the need for ongoing medical monitoring. Telemedicine offers older individuals a convenient way to access healthcare without the need for frequent visits to medical facilities. In rural or remote areas of China, where healthcare access is limited, telemedicine enables consultations with specialists regardless of location. Additionally, older adults with mobility challenges can receive care from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need for travel to healthcare centers. As China’s aging population grows, telemedicine also assists family caregivers by enabling them to manage their relatives' health remotely. One such prominent China telemedicine market trends is the expected growth of the elderly population, with the number of citizens aged 65 and above projected to reach 366 million by 2050.

Rising Demand for Medical Device

According to a 2023 article from the International Trade Administration (ITA), the medical device market is projected to reach USD 48.8 Billion by 2026. With the rise of telemedicine in China, there is a growing demand for medical devices that enable remote consultations, monitoring, and diagnosis. These include digital thermometers, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, and glucose meters, allowing patients to share vital sign data with healthcare professionals. Wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers also play a role, providing activity, heart rate, and sleep data for remote monitoring. Telemedicine also facilitates remote interpretation of diagnostic tests like X-rays and MRIs, boosting demand for portable imaging devices, especially in rural areas. This increase in telemedicine-specific equipment is driving growth in China’s medical device market, creating opportunities for manufacturers to develop interoperable solutions with EHR systems.

China Telemedicine Industry Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the China telemedicine market, along with forecast at the country and regional levels from 2025-2033. The market has been categorized based on component, modality, delivery mode, facility, application, and end user.

Analysis by Component:

• Product
  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Others
• Services
  • Tele-consulting
  • Tele-monitoring
  • Tele-education

As per the China telemedicine forecast, the market is segmented by a diverse range of products and services that support remote healthcare delivery. On the product side, key segments include telemedicine hardware such as diagnostic devices, wearable health monitors, and telecommunication tools that facilitate virtual consultations. Software products include telehealth platforms, electronic health records (EHRs), and AI-powered diagnostic tools, which enhance decision-making and remote patient management. On the services front, the market encompasses real-time interactive services like video consultations, remote monitoring services, and store-and-forward solutions that allow healthcare data to be shared asynchronously. Additionally, services such as tele-radiology, tele-psychiatry, and online second opinions are gaining traction. This segmentation addresses varied healthcare needs, improves access to care in remote areas, and supports China's ongoing healthcare digitization strategy.

Analysis by Modality:

• Real-time
• Store and Forward
• Others

Real-time telemedicine enables two-way communication between patients and healthcare providers via video or phone, offering immediate access in both rural and urban areas. It facilitates virtual consultations, mental health support, and specialist referrals, reducing travel and hospital congestion. Store-and-forward telemedicine allows healthcare data, such as medical images and lab results, to be sent for future evaluation, benefiting fields like radiology and dermatology. Other methods like remote monitoring and mHealth support chronic disease management and public health surveillance, improving access and efficiency in healthcare systems like China's.

Analysis by Delivery Mode:

• Web/Mobile
  • Audio/Text-based
  • Visualized
• Call Centers

The growth of China’s telemedicine market by delivery mode is driven by several key factors. Web and mobile platforms, both audio/text-based and visualized, are expanding rapidly due to high internet and smartphone penetration, especially in urban areas. These modes offer convenient, on-demand access to healthcare services, appealing to tech-savvy users and younger demographics. Visualized solutions enhance diagnosis accuracy and patient engagement. Call centers, on the other hand, remain critical in reaching elderly or rural populations who may lack digital literacy. They provide accessible, low-tech communication with healthcare professionals. Government support for digital health infrastructure, increasing demand for remote consultations, and the need to reduce hospital overcrowding further fuel adoption across all delivery modes in China’s evolving telemedicine landscape.

Analysis by Facility:

• Tele-hospital
• Tele-home

Tele-hospitals are digital platforms initiated by traditional medical institutions, enabling remote consultations, chronic disease management, and follow-up care. These platforms bridge the gap between urban and rural healthcare access, addressing disparities in medical resource distribution. Government policies, such as the "Healthy China 2030" plan, have been instrumental in promoting the development and adoption of internet hospitals, further integrating telemedicine into the national healthcare framework. Tele-home services focus on delivering healthcare directly to patients' residences, utilizing wearable devices and mobile applications for continuous monitoring and management of chronic conditions. This model caters to the aging population and those in remote areas, offering convenience and reducing the need for hospital visits. Advancements in digital infrastructure and supportive government policies have facilitated the expansion of tele-home services, making healthcare more accessible and efficient. ​

Analysis by Application:

• Teledermatology
• Teleradiology
• Telepsychiatry
• Telepathology
• Telecardiology
• Others

The growth of telemedicine applications in China is driven by rising demand for accessible healthcare, especially in rural and aging populations. Teledermatology and telepsychiatry gain traction due to their suitability for visual and conversational diagnosis, reducing wait times and improving mental health outreach. Teleradiology and telepathology address diagnostic backlogs and workforce shortages by enabling remote image and specimen analysis. Telecardiology benefits from increased chronic disease cases, allowing real-time monitoring and timely intervention. Broader categories like tele-oncology and tele-endocrinology are expanding due to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Government support, digital health infrastructure, and rising smartphone and internet usage also play critical roles in creating a positive China telemedicine market outlook across diverse medical applications.

Analysis by End User:

• Providers
• Payers
• Patients
• Others

The China telemedicine market is expanding across all end-user segments due to increasing digital healthcare demand, policy support, and technological infrastructure. Providers are adopting telemedicine to extend services, reduce hospital congestion, and manage chronic diseases more efficiently. Payers, including insurers, support telehealth to lower healthcare costs and streamline claims with remote diagnostics. Patients benefit from convenience, reduced travel, and timely consultations, especially in underserved or rural areas. Growing health awareness and digital literacy further encourage patient adoption. Other stakeholders, such as tech companies and government agencies, drive integration and innovation in telemedicine platforms. Overall, the synergy among end users is strengthening China’s telemedicine ecosystem, enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and outcomes in healthcare delivery.

Regional Analysis:

• North China
• East China
• South Central China
• Southwest China
• Northwest China
• Northeast China

The growth of telemedicine across China’s regions is fueled by varying levels of healthcare infrastructure, government investment, and digital connectivity. East China and North China, with advanced urban centers, benefit from high internet penetration and strong medical institutions, driving rapid telemedicine adoption. South Central China and Southwest China see rising demand due to population growth and expanding healthcare access in rural areas. Northwest and Northeast China, traditionally underserved, are gaining traction through targeted government initiatives and infrastructure improvements. Nationwide policies promoting digital health, combined with region-specific healthcare challenges, are encouraging adoption across all zones. This regional expansion supports equitable healthcare delivery and boosts the overall growth of the China telemedicine market.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the China telemedicine market is shaped by several key factors, including technological innovation, service accessibility, and partnerships between healthcare providers and technology companies. Leading players in the market are increasingly focusing on integrating advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and big data to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of telemedicine services. These technologies enable remote consultations, AI-driven diagnostics, and real-time patient monitoring, improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. For instance, in December 2024, China developed an autonomous virtual healthcare setting, the "Agent Hospital," set to go public in 2025. The platform uses AI to simulate the entire hospital treatment cycle, from diagnosis to follow-ups, and aims to train virtual doctors that continuously learn and improve. Early results show high accuracy in diagnosing and treating patients. The system includes 42 AI doctors across 21 medical departments and plans to expand. This innovative initiative, supported by Tsinghua University, showcases AI's potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. Competition is also driven by the ongoing expansion of digital infrastructure, such as 5G networks, which enhances the speed and reliability of telemedicine services. Strategic partnerships with hospitals, insurance companies, and healthcare startups are crucial to expanding service coverage and improving the customer experience. Additionally, government support and favorable regulatory policies are helping to further stimulate the growth of the telemedicine market in China.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the China telemedicine market with detailed profiles of all major companies.

Latest News and Developments:

• March 2025: JD Health expanded its Rare Disease Care Initiative, assisting over 23,000 patients through telemedicine, home nursing, nutrition support, and a rare skin disease hub. Partnering with medical institutions, it enhances access to specialized care, financial aid, and awareness programs, strengthening rare disease support in China.
• October 2024: Philips unveiled an advanced remote cardiac monitoring system that sends real-time data to healthcare providers, aiming to enhance patient care and reduce hospital visits.
• October 2024: Cisco introduced a comprehensive suite of secure communication solutions for telehealth, focusing on enhancing patient privacy and data security during online consultations.
• September 2024: Huawei launched the Medical Technology Digitalization 2.0 Solution at HUAWEI CONNECT 2024 to enhance AI-assisted diagnosis, imaging quality, and efficiency. The solution supports telemedicine, enabling real-time AI-assisted diagnosis with low latency and centralized quality control, improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency across regions.
• May 2024: JD Health launched AI-driven mental health services in China, including “Small Universe for Chatting and Healing,” an AI therapeutic chatbot, and multimodal diagnostic tools for doctors. The telemedicine model integrates psychiatric consultations, medicine delivery, and psychological counseling, enhancing accessibility, diagnosis efficiency, and personalized mental health treatment.
• May 2024: China launched its first AI hospital town, where AI-generated doctors treat virtual patients using large language models (LLMs). Developed by Tsinghua University, the Agent Hospital enhances medical training, disease prediction, and treatment efficiency, with plans for practical use by mid-2024.
• May 2024: Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (Zimbabwe) partnered with Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital (China) to establish a telemedicine and education centre. The initiative enables virtual consultations, provider-to-provider teleconsultations, and remote patient follow-ups, improving access to specialized care for chronic patients and rural communities.

China Telemedicine Market Report Scope:

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the China telemedicine market from 2019-2033. 
• The China telemedicine market research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the regional market. 
• The study maps the leading, as well as the fastest-growing, regional markets. It further enables stakeholders to identify the key country-level markets within the region. 
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the China telemedicine industry and its attractiveness. 
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.