Market Overview

Considering the financial performances at leading laboratory testing centers as well as at small and middle-size centers, the domestic clinical laboratory testing service market in FY2021 was estimated as 775.0 billion yen, an increase by 23.6% from the previous fiscal year, based on sales revenues at service providers.

As coronavirus infections continued spreading in FY2021 just like in FY2020, the number of PCR testing considerably exceeded that of the previous year. The system for in-hospital PCR testing has been organized in some medical institutions since 2021, but the rate to use clinical laboratory centers and the number of testing at such centers remained high. PCR testing alone continued to substantially boost the entire market of clinical laboratory testing services in FY2021.

* The market size basically does not include PCR testing done with the recipients’ own expenses.

Noteworthy Topics

Increased Intention for Capital Investment Mainly among Major Clinical Laboratories

In the industry of clinical laboratory testing services, special demand for PCR testing for new coronaviruses since FY2020 has expanded the sales at many companies, and simultaneously, what stood out was the amount from profits. This has led some companies, mainly those that operate major clinical testing centers, to become eager for new investment, not only to ensure implementation of planned capital investments. It is considered that acceleration may be observed for replacement of new testing appliances from existing testing lines that they have conventionally used.   

Future Outlook

Special demand for PCR testing for new coronaviruses is expected to continue for FY2022. The number of testing itself is projected to be performed at a certain level, but as medical remuneration points for PCR testing for coronaviruses have been reduced since FY2022, the unit price for testing services is asked to reduce to clinical laboratory testing centers. Therefore, the clinical laboratory testing service market in FY2022 is expected to decline based on the amount for testing when compared to FY2021.

In addition, except for PCR testing for new coronaviruses, the market size for clinical laboratory testing services is about to be close to that before COVID, due to improvement in hesitation among patients to visit hospitals. The market of clinical laboratory testing services for existing testing items is projected to recover to a marginally upward tendency in a mid-term perspective.

Research Outline