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