Key numbers
- Total in 2025: 2,011,822 foreign patients, +71.9% on 2024 (MOHW, 24 April 2026).
- Recent years: 605,768 in 2023 and 1,170,467 in 2024. The pre-pandemic peak was 497,464 in 2019, and the number fell to 117,069 in 2020 (MOHW, 24 April 2026, time series 2009 to 2025).
- Since 2009: 7,059,631 foreign patients in total, 2009 to 2025 (MOHW, 24 April 2026).
- Countries of origin: 201 in 2025 (MOHW, 24 April 2026; KHIDI report, September 2026).
- Top five source countries: China 618,973 (30.8%, +137.5%), Japan 600,009 (29.8%, +36.0%), Taiwan 185,715 (9.2%, +122.5%), United States 173,363 (8.6%, +70.4%) and Thailand 58,124 (2.9%, +52.3%) (counts and growth: MOHW, 24 April 2026; shares: KHIDI report, September 2026).
- Seoul: 1,755,002 patients, 87.2% of all foreign patients (MOHW, 24 April 2026).
- Fastest-growing regions: Busan +151.5% (30,165 to 75,879) and Jeju +114.7% (21,901 to 47,028). Outside the capital region (Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon), MOHW names Busan, Jeju and Daegu (+31.4%) as the three fastest (MOHW, 24 April 2026).
- Departments: dermatology 1,312,700 (62.9% of the department-level count, +86.2%), plastic surgery 233,100 (11.2%), internal medicine (combined) 192,208 (9.2%) and health screening centres 65,228 (3.1%) (KHIDI report, September 2026).
- Institution types: clinics (uiwon) 1,765,153 (87.7%), general hospitals 73,115 (3.6%) and tertiary general hospitals 60,858 (3.0%) (counts: MOHW, 24 April 2026; shares: KHIDI report, September 2026).
- Inpatients and outpatients: 34,980 inpatients and 1,976,842 outpatients (MOHW, 24 April 2026).
- Sex: 1,706,341 women (84.8%) and 305,481 men (15.2%) (KHIDI report, September 2026).
- Age: of 1,981,704 patients with a known age, 2.6% were under 20, 35.4% in their 20s, 34.1% in their 30s, 15.4% in their 40s, 8.3% in their 50s and 4.2% aged 60 or over (KHIDI report, September 2026).
- US Forces Korea: 15,290 patients, 8.8% of the 173,363 US patients (KHIDI report, September 2026).
- Registered providers: 4,088 medical institutions and 2,610 facilitators (agencies) registered in 2025 (KHIDI report, September 2026).
Foreign patients by year
The table lists the number of foreign patients for each year from 2009 to 2025 and the change on the previous year as the Ministry published it. A dash means that no source published a rate for that year; we do not calculate rates ourselves. The number fell in 2017 (−11.7%) and in 2020 (−76.5%), and it has risen in every year from 2021 to 2025.
| Year | Foreign patients | Change on previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,011,822 | +71.9% |
| 2024 | 1,170,467 | +93.2% |
| 2023 | 605,768 | +144.2% |
| 2022 | 248,110 | +70.1% |
| 2021 | 145,842 | +24.6% |
| 2020 | 117,069 | -76.5% |
| 2019 | 497,464 | — |
| 2018 | 378,967 | +17.8% |
| 2017 | 321,574 | -11.7% |
| 2016 | 364,189 | +23.0% |
| 2015 | 296,889 | +11.0% |
| 2014 | 266,501 | — |
| 2013 | 211,218 | +32.5% |
| 2012 | 159,464 | — |
| 2011 | 122,297 | +49.5% |
| 2010 | 81,789 | +36.0% |
| 2009 | 60,201 | — |
Source: 보건복지부, 2026-04-24 · 보건복지부, 2025-04-03 · 보건복지부, 2024-04-30 · 보건복지부, 2023-04-25 · 보건복지부, 2022-06-27 · 보건복지부, 2019-04-17 · 보건복지부, 2018-04-19 · 보건복지부, 2017-04-28 · 보건복지부, 2016-05-27 · 보건복지부, 2014-05-21 · 보건복지부, 2012-05-17 · 보건복지부, 2011-05-27
By country (2025)
The table lists, for each country, the number of foreign patients in 2025, its share of all foreign patients and the change on 2024. MOHW lists 14 countries one by one. The United Kingdom and the Philippines come from KHIDI's top-30 list and are already inside "All other countries", so do not add them to it. The United States figure includes US Forces Korea patients. Hong Kong patients are counted under China from 2019.
| Country | Foreign patients | Share | Change on previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 618,973 | 30.8% | +137.5% |
| Japan | 600,009 | 29.8% | +36.0% |
| Taiwan | 185,715 | 9.2% | +122.5% |
| United States | 173,363 | 8.6% | +70.4% |
| Thailand | 58,124 | 2.9% | +52.3% |
| Singapore | 43,222 | 2.1% | +62.1% |
| Mongolia | 35,586 | 1.8% | +38.3% |
| Canada | 23,624 | 1.2% | +59.1% |
| Vietnam | 23,133 | 1.1% | +13.5% |
| Indonesia | 21,257 | 1.1% | +104.6% |
| Russia | 20,262 | 1.0% | +21.9% |
| Australia | 20,006 | 1.0% | +45.1% |
| Kazakhstan | 15,188 | 0.8% | +4.9% |
| Malaysia | 12,086 | 0.6% | +106.8% |
| United Kingdom | 10,092 | 0.5% | +78.4% |
| Philippines | 8,846 | 0.4% | +33.8% |
| All other countries | 161,274 | 8.0% | +66.9% |
Source: 보건복지부, 2026-04-24 · 한국보건산업진흥원, 2026-09-04
By region (2025)
The table lists the 17 regions (provinces and metropolitan cities) in which the patients were treated, with each region's share and its change on 2024. Sejong went from 0 to 3 patients, so no rate is given for it.
| Region | Foreign patients | Share | Change on previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 1,755,002 | 87.2% | +75.6% |
| Busan | 75,879 | 3.8% | +151.5% |
| Gyeonggi | 54,085 | 2.7% | +5.7% |
| Jeju | 47,028 | 2.3% | +114.7% |
| Incheon | 26,483 | 1.3% | +23.8% |
| Daegu | 19,243 | 1.0% | +31.4% |
| South Chungcheong (Chungnam) | 6,876 | 0.3% | +6.6% |
| Daejeon | 6,445 | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| North Jeolla (Jeonbuk) | 5,165 | 0.3% | +23.3% |
| North Gyeongsang (Gyeongbuk) | 4,272 | 0.2% | +12.0% |
| Gwangju | 3,382 | 0.2% | -0.3% |
| North Chungcheong (Chungbuk) | 3,071 | 0.2% | +0.2% |
| South Gyeongsang (Gyeongnam) | 1,896 | 0.1% | +14.6% |
| Gangwon | 1,768 | 0.1% | +18.1% |
| Ulsan | 1,041 | 0.1% | +26.3% |
| South Jeolla (Jeonnam) | 183 | 0.0% | -2.1% |
| Sejong | 3 | 0.0% | — |
Source: 보건복지부, 2026-04-24 · 한국보건산업진흥원, 2026-09-04
By department (2025)
The table lists the departments in which foreign patients were treated in 2025. A patient who visited two departments is counted once in each, so the department total is 2,087,400, not 2,011,822, and the shares use 2,087,400 as the base. "Internal medicine (combined)" groups 11 departments, including family medicine. "Korean medicine (combined)" groups 11 Korean-medicine departments. The figures come from the KHIDI report.
| Department | Foreign patients | Share | Change on previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dermatology | 1,312,700 | 62.9% | +86.2% |
| Plastic surgery | 233,100 | 11.2% | +64.3% |
| Internal medicine (combined, incl. family medicine) | 192,208 | 9.2% | +54.9% |
| Health screening centre | 65,228 | 3.1% | +17.0% |
| Korean medicine (combined) | 37,087 | 1.8% | +9.4% |
| Dentistry | 32,775 | 1.6% | +79.0% |
| Obstetrics & gynaecology | 26,647 | 1.3% | +62.6% |
| Ophthalmology | 22,378 | 1.1% | +40.9% |
| General surgery | 19,408 | 0.9% | +23.4% |
| Orthopaedics | 18,498 | 0.9% | +8.6% |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | 9,650 | 0.5% | +10.9% |
| Neurosurgery | 8,641 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| Paediatrics | 8,384 | 0.4% | -3.1% |
| All other departments (KHIDI definition) | 100,696 | 4.8% | +34.6% |
Department figures count a patient once in each department they visited, so they add up to more than the number of patients.
Source: 한국보건산업진흥원, 2026-09-04
Definitions and method
- Who counts as a foreign patient. A foreigner who does not live in Korea (no foreigner registration and no domestic residence report) and who was treated without being a National Health Insurance subscriber or dependant. This is the definition in article 2 of the Medical Overseas Expansion and Foreign Patient Attraction Support Act, as MOHW quotes it. Foreign residents covered by Korean health insurance are excluded.
- KHIDI's wider rule. In its reporting rules, KHIDI also counts holders of a medical visa, US Forces Korea members and their families, and staff of foreign missions and international organisations. US Forces Korea patients are therefore included in the US figure: 15,290 of 173,363 in 2025.
- What is counted. The figures are actual patients (silhwanja, 실환자) per reporting institution. A person who is treated at two institutions is counted twice, so the figures are not a count of unique travellers.
- What is excluded. Consultations, non-face-to-face care and proxy prescriptions are excluded. The 2023 release also excluded simple COVID screening.
- Patient-days. The "yeonhwanja" (연환자) figure adds every outpatient day and every inpatient day. It was 2,723,307 in 2025 (MOHW and KHIDI). The tables on this page use the actual-patient count unless a row says otherwise.
- Departments. A patient is counted in each department visited (see above).
- Who reports. Registered institutions and facilitators report to their province by the end of February. The provinces notify MOHW by 10 March, and KHIDI compiles the figures.
- Not for international comparison. KHIDI warns that most other medical-tourism countries, including Singapore and Thailand, count patient-days and include resident foreigners and spa or massage visitors. KHIDI concludes that a simple comparison between countries is not appropriate.
- Money figures. The sources also contain economic estimates in Korean currency. This page does not reproduce them, because they are model estimates and not reported revenue.
Discrepancies in the sources
- Number of countries in 2025. MOHW and KHIDI Table 2.1 say 201. An infographic in the KHIDI report says 202, which is the 2024 figure. We use 201.
- China in 2016. MOHW releases give 127,648. KHIDI tables give 129,409. We use 127,648 and leave the 2016 share blank.
- 2009 department total. MOHW gives 64,464. KHIDI gives 66,308. The difference sits in the "other" departments.
- 2023 institution types. The first release showed 81,486 for general hospitals and 186 for long-term-care hospitals. Later releases show 81,640 and 32, and the total did not change. We use the later figures.
- Cumulative total for 2011. The charts in MOHW and KHIDI show 264,284. Adding the annual figures gives 264,287.
- Revised figures. Some years were revised after first publication, for example 2009 patient-days (160,017 first, 162,638 later).
- Missing releases. MOHW's press board has no release for the 2012, 2019 or 2020 results. Those years come from later time series.
- 2017. The release title says a 12% fall, and its table says 11.7%. We use 11.7%.
Our checks
For every year from 2009 to 2025, the figures by country, by region and by institution type add up exactly to the annual total, and inpatients plus outpatients equal the total. The sum of all annual totals is 7,059,631, which matches the published cumulative figure. KHIDI's department rows do not add up to its totals in two years: they are off by 14 in 2010 and by 1 in 2013. We did not check English-language versions of the MOHW and KHIDI releases. The CSV file linked at the top of this page contains every figure in these tables with its source.
How to cite these figures
Name the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the national totals and KHIDI for the breakdowns by department, age and sex. A suggested citation line:
Korea treated 2,011,822 foreign patients in 2025, up 71.9% from 2024, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (press release, 24 April 2026). The figure counts patients per medical institution and excludes foreign residents covered by National Health Insurance.
To cite this page: Korea Clinic Directory, "Korea medical tourism statistics", https://koreaclinicdirectory.com/en/data/korea-medical-tourism-statistics/, figures checked 29 October 2026. Data: Ministry of Health and Welfare (Korea) and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI).
Sources
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and KHIDI: press release on the 2025 results, with attachment 1, annual foreign patient figures 2009 to 2025 (2026-04-24)
- Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI): Statistical analysis report on foreign patients attracted in 2025 (published 2026-09-04)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2024 results (2025-04-03)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2023 results (2024-04-30)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2022 results (2023-04-25)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2021 results (2022-06-27)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2018 results (2019-04-17)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2017 results (2018-04-19)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2016 results (2017-04-28)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2015 results (2016-05-27)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2014 results (2015-05-29)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2013 results (2014-05-21)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2011 results (2012-05-17)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2010 results (2011-05-27)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW): press release on the 2009 results (2010-04-28)
Sources read on 29 October 2026. The tables above show the source of each figure. Figures are as published; we do not estimate or recalculate them.