An estimated 375 million CT procedures are performed worldwide each year, growing by 3 to 4% annually, according to a 2021 Frost & Sullivan estimate. In the United States alone, about 93 million CT exams were performed on 61.5 million patients in 2023. Global totals are estimates and sources differ, so this guide states the year and source of every number.
How Many CT Scans Are Performed Each Year Worldwide?
There is no single official count of CT scans worldwide, so the best figures are estimates from industry analysts and national surveys. The table shows the main numbers and what each one covers.
| Figure | Year | Scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 375 million CT procedures a year, growing 3 to 4% annually | 2021 estimate | Worldwide | Frost & Sullivan |
| 93 million CT exams in 61.5 million patients | 2023 | United States | JAMA Internal Medicine, 2025 (IMV survey data) |
| 68.7 million CT exams | 2007 | United States | JAMA Internal Medicine, 2025 |
The Frost & Sullivan number counts procedures worldwide and is not broken down by country or region.
CT Scans Per Year in the US
A 2025 study in JAMA Internal Medicine by Smith-Bindman and colleagues estimated that 93 million CT examinations were performed on 61.51 million patients in the US in 2023. The authors based the exam counts on the CT Market Outlook Report from the IMV Medical Information Division, a national annual survey of hospitals and imaging facilities. The same paper puts the 2007 figure at 68.7 million exams and says CT use is more than 30% higher today.
Also Read: How many DICOM images are created per day
CT Scanners Per Million People by Country
The OECD reports that more than 115 CT scanners are available per million people in Japan, compared with less than one per million in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. In its Health at a Glance 2025 report, Japan again has by far the highest number of CT scanners per capita among OECD countries, and Australia has the next highest.
Two cautions apply. The OECD notes that there is no international benchmark for the ideal number of CT scanners. And for Australia and Hungary, the scanner counts include only scanners eligible for public reimbursement, so they are not directly comparable with other countries.
Use of CT is also rising in many countries. The OECD reports that between 2013 and 2023 the number of CT exams more than doubled in Korea and increased by more than 50% in Australia and Latvia.
Also Read: What is DICOM? The Complete Guide to Medical Imaging Standards
CT Market Size and Growth Drivers
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global computed tomography scanners market was valued at USD 7.80 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 8.22 billion in 2026 to USD 13.63 billion by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 6.5%. Market research firms use different methods, so figures vary between reports.
Commonly cited drivers of growth include:
- The prevalence of chronic disease
- An aging population: the World Health Organization says the proportion of people over 60 will nearly double from 12% in 2015 to 22% in 2050
- Technological advances in imaging
- Rising demand for early diagnosis
CT is used in emergency trauma assessment, cancer detection and monitoring, cardiovascular and neurological diagnosis, and orthopedic imaging.
Also Read: Number of MRI scans per year worldwide
What Rising CT Volume Means for Imaging Data
Every CT exam produces a DICOM study made of many image slices, so more scans mean more data to store, move, and de-identify. For research teams, that means imaging data from many hospitals has to be collected in a consistent and privacy-safe way before it can be used. Read our guides on medical imaging data and how to centralize medical imaging data across sites.
Collective Minds Connect is a secure edge gateway that automates the transfer of imaging data from hospital PACS and modalities to Collective Minds research and trial workspaces. It replaces the manual export, de-identification, pseudonymization, and upload of DICOM files, and data is de-identified and pseudonymized before it leaves the local environment. Collective Minds Research, a GCP-compliant medical imaging research platform, then brings the data into one central project with role-based access and an audit trail.
Things You Might Be Wondering
How many CT scans are performed worldwide each year?
An estimated 375 million CT procedures a year, according to a 2021 Frost & Sullivan estimate. Global totals are estimates and vary by source.
How many CT scans are performed in the US each year?
About 93 million CT exams were performed on 61.5 million patients in 2023, according to a 2025 JAMA Internal Medicine study based on IMV survey data.
Which country has the most CT scanners per million people?
Japan, with more than 115 per million people according to the OECD. Australia has the next highest among OECD countries, though its count includes only publicly reimbursed scanners.
What is driving the growth in CT scan numbers?
Commonly cited drivers are an aging population, the prevalence of chronic disease, technological advances, and demand for early diagnosis.
Reviewed by: Pilar Flores on October 16, 2026
