China Pain Management Drugs Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Drug Type (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), Corticosteroids, Acetaminophen, Opioid (Strong Opioid, Weak Opioid), Antidepressants, Anticonvulsant Drugs, Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies), By Indication (Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Back Pain, Post-Operative Pain, Others), And By Province - Forecasts From 2025 To 2030

China Pain Management Drugs Market Size:

China pain management drugs market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.65% from 2025 to 2030.

Being an economy with the highest global population that is witnessing constant yearly growth, China holds greater potential for the consumption of pain management drugs fuelled by the growing demand for varied medicines that treat acute short-term pain in adults followed by the rising prevalence of various health issues due to sedentary lifestyles. According to the World Development Indicator, as of April 2025, the total population in China was 1,407.6 million and the economy will grow at an average growth of 4% from 2025 to 2026.

Likewise, the growing cancer prevalence in China is also estimated to drive the demand for pain relief medication as it suppresses the pain caused due to continuous tumor growth. According to the National Cancer Center (NCC) of China, in 2024, nearly 3,246,625 new cancer cases were reported in the country and the number of deaths reached 1,699,066. Likewise, as per the Global Cancer Observatory, in 2022, stomach, colorectum, lung, and liver are some of the most common cancer cases with high prevalence rates in both males & females in the country.

The growing old age population is also expected to increase the overall consumption of pain management drugs in China since older people are more prone to arthritis as bone density becomes weaker. According to the “China Economic Update” issued by the World Bank on June 2024, the percentage of people aged 65 and above stood at 15-20%, and over the next 20 years, this share is expected to grow to 28% with the majority of them being functionally dependent on others.

The pharmaceutical players are investing to expand their operations in China to optimize the country’s growing pharmaceutical consumption. Well-known players named Pfizser Inc, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Sanofi S.A, and Johson & Johnson have established their presence in major Chinese provinces which has increased the overall market lucrativeness. Additionally, rising per capita income is encouraging people to demand better quality healthcare services for which they are ready to pay high premiums. Rising demand for private health insurance plans is also contributing to the increasing number of surgical procedures in this country.

China Pain Management Drug Market Segmentation

• By Drug Type
  • Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Corticosteroids
  • Acetaminophen
  • Opioid
    • Strong Opioid
    • Weak Opioid
  • Antidepressants
  • Anticonvulsant Drugs
  • Others
• By Distribution Channel
  • Hospital Pharmacies
  • Retail Pharmacies
  • Online Pharmacies
• By Indication
  • Cancer
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Chronic Back Pain
  • Post-Operative Pain
  • Others
• By Province
  • Guangdong
  • Shandong
  • Henan
  • Jiangsu
  • Others

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

2. MARKET SNAPSHOT

2.1. Market Overview

2.2. Market Definition

2.3. Scope of the Study

2.4. Market Segmentation

3. BUSINESS LANDSCAPE 

3.1. Market Drivers

3.2. Market Restraints

3.3. Market Opportunities 

3.4. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis

3.5. Industry Value Chain Analysis

3.6. Policies and Regulations 

3.7. Strategic Recommendations 

4. TECHNOLOGICAL OUTLOOK

5. CHINA PAIN MANAGEMENT DRUGS MARKET BY DRUG TYPE

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

5.3. Corticosteroids

5.4. Acetaminophen

5.5. Opioid

5.5.1. Strong Opioid

5.5.2. Weak Opioid

5.6. Antidepressants

5.7. Anticonvulsant Drugs

5.8. Others

6. CHINA PAIN MANAGEMENT DRUGS MARKET BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Hospital Pharmacies

6.3. Retail Pharmacies 

6.4. Online Pharmacies

7. CHINA PAIN MANAGEMENT DRUGS MARKET BY INDICATION

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Cancer

7.3. Rheumatoid Arthritis

7.4. Chronic Back Pain

7.5. Post-Operative Pain

7.6. Others

8. CHINA PAIN MANAGEMENT DRUGS MARKET BY CITY

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Guangdong

8.2.1. By Drug Type

8.2.2. By Distribution Channel

8.2.3. By Indication

8.3. Shandong

8.3.1. By Drug Type

8.3.2. By Distribution Channel

8.3.3. By Indication

8.4. Henan

8.4.1. By Drug Type

8.4.2. By Distribution Channel

8.4.3. By Indication

8.5. Jiangsu

8.5.1. By Drug Type

8.5.2. By Distribution Channel

8.5.3. By Indication

8.6. Others

8.6.1. By Drug Type

8.6.2. By Distribution Channel

8.6.3. By Indication

9. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

9.2. Market Share Analysis

9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

9.4. Competitive Dashboard

10. COMPANY PROFILES

10.1. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Novartis AG)

10.2. Eli Lilly and Company

10.3. Pfizer Inc.

10.4. GlaxoSmithKline plc

10.5. Merck & Co., Inc.

10.6. Sanofi S.A

10.7. Johnson & Johnson

10.8. Viatris Inc.

10.9. The Menarini Group

10.10. Abbott Laboratories

11. APPENDIX

11.1. Currency 

11.2. Assumptions

11.3. Base and Forecast Years Timeline

11.4. Key benefits for the stakeholders

11.5. Research Methodology 

11.6. Abbreviations 

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Novartis AG)

Eli Lilly and Company

Pfizer Inc.

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Merck & Co., Inc.

Sanofi S.A

Johnson & Johnson

Viatris Inc.

The Menarini Group

Abbott Laboratories