Nursing Robots Market - Forecasts from 2023 to 2028

The nursing robots market is projected to witness a compounded annual growth rate of 17.86% to grow to US$2,551.802 million by 2028, from US$807.994 million in 2021.

Nursing robots are increasingly being used in the healthcare industry because they can triage patients in clinics, emergency rooms, and via telehealth services to streamline care and provide standardized approaches to symptom management with far fewer resources. One of the reasons for employing nursing robots is due to shortages of nurses in many developed and developing countries. For instance, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 2,75,000 additional nurses are needed from 2020-2030. Taking advantage of this situation, companies are launching new and innovative products to increase nursing robots' market share. For instance, in June 2023, Relay Robotics launched RelayRx to address the nurse shortage in hospitals. RelayRx is expected to have faster delivery for all departments including pharmaceuticals and labs.

Growing geriatric population

The expanding elderly demographic is anticipated to be a key growth driver in the nursing robots market. The utilization of nursing robots to complement human nursing staff in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and residential settings is experiencing a rapid and substantial rise. They can help with logistics and strenuous physical activities, as well as combat loneliness and idleness among the elderly.

Telerobots operated remotely have the capability to manage interactive caregiving responsibilities and act as conduits for medical professionals such as doctors or nurses to engage with patients or the elderly across extended distances. This, coupled with the increasing elderly population, is anticipated to drive the expansion of the nursing robots market in the coming years.

Furthermore, as per the 2020 UN World Population Ageing Report, the worldwide count of individuals aged 65 or older stood at 727 million in 2020. Projections indicate a significant surge over the next thirty years, with the global older population expected to surpass 1.5 billion by 2050. This increase will be witnessed across all regions, and the proportion of the global population aged 65 and above is set to rise from 9.3 percent in 2020 to 16.0 percent by 2050. This suggests a burgeoning opportunity for manufacturers of nursing robots in the years to come.

Nursing robots are gaining popularity in hospitals

Nursing is an integral part of patient care and there has been a constant evolution in the nursing techniques and technologies to adapt to the current scenario. Nursing robots play a crucial role in supporting hospitals with logistics and handling physically demanding tasks. Additionally, they address issues of loneliness and inactivity among the elderly population and are capable of automating routine responsibilities such as monitoring patients' vital signs. These robots are diligent workers and are advantageous in hospitals that require long hours of duty. Developed nations like the United States and Japan are exploring the potential of this field within the wider scope of telerobotics and telemedicine. The changing demographics of the population and the shortage of nursing and caregiving professionals are urging hospitals and medical centers to adopt these technologies in their daily routines.

Surge in healthcare expenditure

The surge in healthcare expenditure is propelling the demand for nursing robots in hospitals as it addresses the challenges posed by an aging population, enhances patient care, and offers long-term cost efficiency. With more financial resources at their disposal, healthcare institutions are turning to nurse robots to alleviate staffing shortages, reduce operational costs, and improve patient outcomes, ultimately justifying the initial investment. According to the database OECD Health Statistics 2023, preliminary estimates for a group of 20 countries witnessed an increase of around 6% in healthcare spending on average in 2021. Moreover, as per the Health Expenditure and Financing in OECD. Stat, the average health spending as a share of GDP jumped to 9,7% across OECD countries in 2020.

Robot Dinsow is being used by Thai and Japanese hospitals for patient care. It monitors elderly patients via video and sets up video chats with their relatives. Whereas, Robot Pepper has been working in the reception area of two Belgian hospitals, greeting people and guiding patients to their proper departments. Another example includes the Robot Paro used in hospitals and extended-care facilities in several parts of the world which stimulates interaction between patients and caregivers.

It is projected that the nursing robot market in Japan will grow steadily.

Nursing robots provide a helping hand in various repetitive tasks such as retrieval of medical supplies, patient transferring and monitoring, and beverage and food delivery. Moreover, the growing geriatric population in the country has accelerated the demand for healthcare facilities that have improved innovative infrastructure and provide long-term care. According to the Japanese Nursing Association, in 2021, the total number of long-term care nursing facilities in Japan stood at 817 which signified a y-o-y increase of 14.9% over 2020. Also, according to the September 2023 article by the World Economic Forum, in 2021, people aged 65 years and above accounted for 29.8% of the total population in Japan.

Market Key Developments

• In January 2022,Toppan conducted a pilot test of its “Transbots” digital twin at Shonan Kamakura General Hospital in Kanagawa. The test aimed to promote robots in supporting nursing services and to combat COVID-19.

Segmentation:

By End-User

• Hospitals
• Research institutes
• Independent home care

By Population Split

• Geriatric population
• Disabled population
• Bariatric population

By Geography

• North America
• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• Germany
• UK
• France
• Others
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• Japan
• China
• India
• Thailand
• Taiwan
• Indonesia
• Others