Medical Drones Market

Medical Drones Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The global medical drone market size was valued at USD 471.86 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 1320.88 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 22.86%% during the forecast period.

A medical drone is an uncrewed aerial vehicle that transports medical supplies or patients from one location to another. In recent days, the usage of medical drones has picked up drastically in developed countries. These are primarily used to shift patients from remote locations to hospitals safely and are being used to transport medical supplies to needy locations quickly. In addition, medical drones have recently been used to transport medical devices such as defibrillators and medical cameras. Medical drones can be controlled with a remote or also travels based on GPS and are gaining popularity across the world and helping in emergencies and also in search and rescue operations.

MARKET DRIVERS

The rising demand for remote medical care is a significant factor driving the growth of the medical drone market.

Medical drones are being used aggressively to ship medical supplies and equipment to rural areas. Worldwide, many rural areas need more healthcare infrastructure, medical professionals, and medical equipment. Medical equipment is being transported to such places during emergencies using medical drones. In similar situations, using medical drones, even patients are being shifted to hospitals for treatment using medical drones. Medical drones further favor patients consulting doctors remotely, sharing remote diagnoses, and seeking medical assistance. Therefore, the adoption of medical drones is likely to grow in the coming years, which is expected to result in the market's growth rate.

The growing usage of medical drones in emergencies is another major factor propelling the market growth.

The adoption of drones for emergency response and search and rescue operations has recently seen a spike, including medical drones. In emergencies, using medical drones, medical supplies can be easily transported to the scene of an emergency. In addition, the growing adoption of technological developments in manufacturing advanced medical drones is estimated to fuel the market's growth rate.

Furthermore, many governments worldwide are encouraging the usage of drones in healthcare and are implementing regulations that are expected to boost the medical drone market growth. The growing number of road accidents and natural calamities propel the market for medical drones worldwide. For instance, according to the projections of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States went up by 10.5% between 2020 and 2021. When a road accident happens, an immediate need to shift the injured people to hospitals arises; in such cases, medical drones can significantly help. The cost-effectiveness associated with medical drones further contributes to the growth of the medical drone market. Furthermore, the growing aging population and the increasing patient population suffering from chronic diseases require regular medical check-ups and medical assistance, which is expected to boost the adoption of medical drones.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Safety concerns associated with medical drones are majorly hampering the market growth. In a few situations, medical drones could result in malfunction and crashes. Due to this, the hesitation has started to use drones for healthcare needs. In addition, the stringent regulatory environment is another major factor restraining the market growth. The regulations that are subjected to the usage of medical drones vary from country to country at present. Due to this, it has become difficult for manufacturers to manufacture drones complying with the regulations. Furthermore, high costs associated with the manufacturing of these devices by the companies and purchasing of these devices by healthcare providers are inhibiting the growth rate of the medical drone market. In addition, factors such as lack of standardization, scarcity of professionals who can handle drone operations, less flight time, issues associated with weather and privacy, and security concerns are expected to impact the medical drone market growth negatively.

Impact of COVID-19 on the medical drones market

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a favorable impact on the medical drone market. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for efficient and contactless medical transportation has grown significantly, which has resulted in the growing usage of medical drones to transport medical supplies such as PPE kits, COVID-19 test kits, and others to remote areas. In addition, in some geographies, medical drones are used to shift the COVID-19 tested samples and COVID-19 patients to hospitals for testing and treatment purposes. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have used telemedicine to seek medical assistance, increasing the use of medical drones for remote diagnosis. As a result, the global medical drone market is expected to register a healthy CAGR during the forecast period.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS 

Global Medical Drones Market Analysis By Type

Based on type, the fixed-wing segment had the largest share of the worldwide medical drone market in 2024.

On the other hand, the rotary wing segment is expected to hold a significant share of the global medical drone market during the forecast period. The growing demand for medical supplies majorly drives the growth of the segment. In addition, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the usage of rotary-wing drones.

The hybrid segment is predicted to showcase the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This is because hybrid drones have extensive carrying capabilities, one of the primary factors driving segmental growth.

Global Medical Drones Market Analysis By Capacity

Based on capacity, the less than 2KG segment is anticipated to hold the most significant share of the worldwide market during the forecast period. In addition, an increasing number of experimental activities using drones less than 2KG in weight propel segmental growth.

Other segments, such as 2-5 KG and greater than 5KG, are anticipated to showcase a healthy CAGR in the coming years.

Global Medical Drones Market Analysis By Application

Based on application, the blood transfer segment had a significant share of the global medical drone market in 2024, and the domination of the segment is likely to continue during the forecast period. The increasing usage of medical drones to transport blood samples and pathological blood products drives the segment's growth rate.

The vaccination programs segment is predicted to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The segment's growth is driven by the growing patient count suffering from infectious diseases and unexpected events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global Medical Drones Market Analysis By End-User

Others (Government, Institutions, Pathological Labs, Telemedicine services, Field Hospitals, Virological Laboratories, Healthcare, and Humanitarian NGOs)

Based on end-user, the blood banks segment accounted for the leading share of the medical drones market in 2024. Therefore, the blood banks segment is expected to showcase significant domination during the forecast period.

On the other hand, the hospital's segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR in the global medical drone market during the forecast period. This is because the usage of medical drones among hospitals is growing consistently, and these drones are used to perform various operations, which are expected to result in segmental growth.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS 

Geographically, North America led the medical drone market in 2022 and accounted for 39.4% of the global market share. The growing support and regulations by North American countries in favor of the usage of medical drones primarily drive the growth of the North American medical drone market. In addition, the usage of telemedicine is growing significantly across the North American region, which is expected to fuel the growth rate of the regional market. Furthermore, the presence of key market players and the increasing usage of medical drones for patient transportation is expected to boost the medical drone market growth in North America.

During the forecast period, the European medical drone market captured the second largest share worldwide and is estimated to showcase a promising CAGR. The usage of medical drones in Europe is picking up, which is expected to result in regional market growth. In Europe, medical drones are being used to transport medical supplies and samples for testing. Medical drones are mainly used to promote the speed of medical delivery to rural areas in Europe. European countries such as the UK, Germany, and France are anticipated to hold a significant share of the European market during the forecast period.

The APAC medical drone market occupied the third largest share of the global market in 2022 and is expected to witness a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. The adoption of drones across APAC countries is high, which is expected to boost the market growth in this region. On the other hand, APAC has an untapped market potential. Due to this, the global market players are focussing on the APAC region, which is estimated to promote the growth rate of the regional market. Furthermore, growing investments to conduct R&D around medical drones are boosting the market's growth rate in this region.

The Latin American medical drone market is expected to showcase a steady CAGR during the forecast period.

The medical drone market in MEA had 5.1% of the global market share in 2022 and is expected to showcase a moderate CAGR during the forecast period.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL MEDICAL DRONE MARKET

DHL, Zipline, Vayu, Matternet, Flirtey, Embention, and DJI are a few noteworthy companies profiled in the global medical drone market in this report.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET

• In May 2022, Zipline launched its Medical Drone delivery in Japan through a partnership with Toyota Tsusho Corp.
• In May 2022, Wingcopter, a German Drone delivery firm, announced a partnership with Continental Drones Ltd. to build a network of 12,000 Wingcopter 198 drones across Africa over the next five years.
• In Feb 2022, Zipline partnered with Kisumu County (Kenya), a Lake Region Economic Blog (LREB) member, to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, blood products, and other health supplies to health facilities within the county.
• In Jan 2022, Flirtey announced its last-mile drone delivery business as a new brand SkyDrop.
• SkyDrop is the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of drone delivery systems operating in last-mile delivery and the existing drone companies worldwide.
• In Sep 2021, Matternet launched the world's first city-wide medical drone delivery network in Abu Dhabi to rapidly transport medical goods in Abu Dhabi, collaborating with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH) and logistics company Skygo.
• In Aug 2021, DHL partnered with Dynamics for Middle East Drone service to develop rapid deliveries in the middle mile across Europe.
• In Aug 2021, Matternet launched the Medical Drone delivery networks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Berlin, Germany. Hospitals in US and Germany team up with Matternet and UPS to provide medical laboratory deliveries by drone.
• In Dec 2020, Alpine 4 Technologies, Ltd. acquired Vayu US, Inc.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL MEDICAL DRONE MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global medical drone market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on type, capacity, application and end-user

By Type

• Fixed Wing
• Rotary Wing
• Hybrid

By Capacity

• Less than 2KG
• 2-5 KG
• Greater than 5 KG

By Application

• Acute Care
• Vaccination Programs
• Blood Transfer
• Drugs/Pharmaceuticals Transfer

By End-User

• Blood Banks
• Emergency Medical Services
• Hospitals