Why Iran’s medical tourism is potentially big business

According to The Iran Project, medical tourism is a fast growing industry. It is an important sector to both healthcare and tourism industries, which not only helps to improve the health level of the society, but also can bring significant income as an economic driver.

The global medical tourism market size, estimated at $35.78 billion in 2024, is expected to reach around $253 billion by 2034, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 21.6%.

For Iran, the sector can be a stable and significant source of income where many patients from neighboring and even distant countries are looking for quality and cost-effective medical services.

The growth in demand for medical and health tourism services is largely being driven by long waiting times in public healthcare and high costs of private care in developed countries, as well as the general trend of ageing populations.

According to Iranian officials, the net income accruing from health tourists can be equivalent to about 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day by only using the existing vacant capacities of the health system. This shows the importance and capacity of the field for the country's economy.

Currently a maximum of 1.2 million health tourists visit Iran every year, but with the improvement of infrastructure and proper marketing, this number can increase significantly. Iran’s medical tourism income in 2022 reached $1 billion, according to the then minister of health.

Most of health tourists are from Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Oman, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, but there is no shortage of visitors from European countries.

Iran has a special advantage in providing halal medicine and pharmaceuticals, which is a crucial area where compliance with Islamic standards is increasingly sought after by Muslim consumers.

The demand for halal products extends beyond food. Halal medicine refers to pharmaceutical products that are developed, produced, and managed in ways that are compliant with the principles of Sharia, or Islamic law.

Not available in other countries, ample resources are offered in Iran to maintain the privacy of patients where Muslim women insist to always be examined and treated by women doctors and nurses and men by men.

By and large, Iran is on the cutting edge of new technologies in medicine and health care, where the same services and procedures provided in Europe and the US are also offered in the country, but at costs not comparable by any measure.

Even in its current state where the country's medical capacities have not properly been introduced to the world, Iran’s health tourism sector is more attractive than the countries around it, due to the legion of skilled and experienced doctors and low tariffs.

Iran's medical centers and hospitals follow international standards and provide high-quality services to patients. They use advanced medical technologies and modern treatment methods which have won the trust of domestic and foreign patients and placed Iran among the top medical tourism destinations.

Moreover, the country has a rich history and culture with many tourist attractions which allow patients to enjoy cultural and historical experiences in addition to treatment. This unique combination of treatment and tourism has made Iran a unique destination for health tourists.

Reporter : Editorial of The Iran Project