The renal dialysis market in South Korea is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% between 2020 and 2025, driven by the increasing use of hemodialysis machines and peritoneal dialysis (PD) for the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), forecasts GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Renal Dialysis Machines (Nephrology and Urology Devices) – Global Market Analysis and Forecast Model (COVID-19 Market Impact)’, reveals that hemodialysis machines accounted for more than 90% of the South Korean renal dialysis market in 2020.

Fresenius SE & Co KGaA was the leading player in the South Korean renal dialysis market in 2020, followed by B. Braun Melsungen AG. Together these two companies accounted for around 55% of the total market in 2020.

Anusha Kaushik, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “With increase in the number of COVID-19 cases during the onset of the pandemic, people suffering from ESRD were impacted as they require regular dialysis care to survive. During the pandemic, patients had access to dialysis centers and home-based equipment for continuous treatment. This has kept the demand afloat for renal dialysis equipment.”

Patients with renal disease will have weakened immune system and require continuous care as they are more susceptible to the virus. Increase in the aging population, high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and vascular diseases are leading to the growth of ESRD, which in turn is driving the demand for renal dialysis equipment.

Dialysis treatment is preferred over transplant procedure for patients suffering from ESRD due to the shortage of donors and complexities associated with transplant procedure. The frequent need for dialysis and adoption of advanced technologies in medical institutions and development of better home dialysis equipment are expected to further boost the growth of renal dialysis equipment market in South Korea.

Ms. Kaushik concludes: “The use of hemodialysis machines is high in South Korea. However, the growing demand for home-based care, increasing awareness of peritoneal dialysis, relatively high cost of hemodialysis at dialysis centers are expected to lead to the higher adoption rate of peritoneal dialysis in the future.”