Overall spending on pharmaceutical drugs and medicine imports increased 20.7% for all importer countries since 2016 when import purchases of drugs and medicines were valued at $359.4 billion.
From 2019 to 2020, international purchases of drugs and medicines increased by 3.1%.
The 5 biggest importers of pharmaceutical medicines are the United States of America, Germany, Switzerland, China and Belgium. Collectively, that cohort of international buyers represents 42.5% of globally imported drugs and medicines during 2020. Percentages over 40% indicated a relatively concentrated market of buyers.
From a continental perspective, European countries paid roughly half (50.9%) of worldwide drugs and medicines imported during 2020 with pharmaceutical purchases valued at $211.7 billion. In second place were North American importers at 21%. Close behind, 17.6% of imported pharmaceuticals were delivered to customers in Asia.
Smaller percentages were delivered to Latin America (2.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (2.7%) then Oceania (1.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
The metrics below combine subtotals for two 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes for drugs and medicine subcategories, specifically prefixes 3003 (consisting of 2 or more constituents mixed together) and 3004 (other).
Drugs and Medicines Imports by Country
Top 15
Drugs and Medicines: Top 15 Importer Countries
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of drugs and medicines during 2020.
- United States: US$81.9 billion (18.9% of imported drugs/medicines)
- Germany: $34.4 billion (7.9%)
- Switzerland: $25.9 billion (6%)
- China: $21.5 billion (4.9%)
- Belgium: $20.6 billion (4.7%)
- Italy: $18.33 billion (4.2%)
- France: $18.27 billion (4.2%)
- United Kingdom: $18.1 billion (4.2%)
- Japan: $17.3 billion (4%)
- Netherlands: $11.7 billion (2.7%)
- Spain: $11.6 billion (2.7%)
- Canada: $8.7 billion (2%)
- Russia: $7.2 billion (1.7%)
- Australia: $5.6 billion (1.3%)
- Poland: $5.4 billion (1.2%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for prescription drugs and medicines since 2016 were: Belgium (up 68.6%), Switzerland (up 56.4%), China (up 49.9%) and Netherlands (up 35.1%).
There were a trio of top importers that posted declines in their medications purchases year over year, namely United Kingdom (down -16.7%), Australia (down -1.3%) and Japan (down -0.6%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 70.6% of all prescription drugs and medicines imported during 2020.
All Countries
Drugs and Medicines: All Importer Countries in 2020
By value, the 100 key countries showcased in the following automated database bought 97.9% of imported pharmaceutical drugs and medicines purchased in 2020.
| Rank | Importer | Drugs & Medicines (US$) | %2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $81,861,045,000 | +21.2% |
| 2. | Germany | $34,369,880,000 | +29.4% |
| 3. | Switzerland | $25,882,324,000 | +56.4% |
| 4. | China | $21,463,454,000 | +49.9% |
| 5. | Belgium | $20,586,817,000 | +68.6% |
| 6. | Italy | $18,329,307,000 | +26.7% |
| 7. | France | $18,267,904,000 | +19.4% |
| 8. | United Kingdom | $18,074,190,000 | -16.7% |
| 9. | Japan | $17,289,858,000 | -0.6% |
| 10. | Netherlands | $11,734,460,000 | +35.1% |
| 11. | Spain | $11,588,096,000 | +11.7% |
| 12. | Canada | $8,673,383,000 | +18.3% |
| 13. | Russia | $7,212,327,000 | +3.8% |
| 14. | Australia | $5,604,593,000 | -1.3% |
| 15. | Poland | $5,357,004,000 | +29.6% |
| 16. | Slovenia | $5,326,412,000 | +441.7% |
| 17. | Ireland | $5,144,671,000 | +34.4% |
| 18. | Czech Republic | $4,563,268,000 | +36.2% |
| 19. | Saudi Arabia | $4,417,644,000 | +10.4% |
| 20. | South Korea | $4,302,959,000 | +21% |
| 21. | Denmark | $4,039,090,000 | +37.8% |
| 22. | Austria | $3,977,287,000 | +21.7% |
| 23. | Brazil | $3,422,678,000 | +0.3% |
| 24. | Romania | $3,285,093,000 | +28% |
| 25. | Sweden | $3,245,808,000 | +17.2% |
| 26. | Taiwan | $3,169,577,000 | +36% |
| 27. | Hungary | $2,960,392,000 | +12.1% |
| 28. | Mexico | $2,864,459,000 | +8.3% |
| 29. | Vietnam | $2,765,455,000 | +15.4% |
| 30. | Turkey | $2,568,238,000 | -5.6% |
| 31. | Portugal | $2,507,328,000 | +18.5% |
| 32. | Greece | $2,455,026,000 | +0.7% |
| 33. | Hong Kong | $2,322,766,000 | +10.2% |
| 34. | Israel | $2,027,795,000 | +50.8% |
| 35. | United Arab Emirates | $1,995,958,000 | -3.3% |
| 36. | Egypt | $1,988,675,000 | 0% |
| 37. | Ukraine | $1,987,212,000 | +52.7% |
| 38. | Slovakia | $1,950,490,000 | +28.4% |
| 39. | South Africa | $1,823,755,000 | +26.3% |
| 40. | Singapore | $1,798,885,000 | +38.4% |
| 41. | Thailand | $1,772,269,000 | +14.9% |
| 42. | Finland | $1,723,997,000 | +2.3% |
| 43. | Norway | $1,671,441,000 | +25.6% |
| 44. | Colombia | $1,582,919,000 | +13.8% |
| 45. | Malaysia | $1,455,056,000 | +30.5% |
| 46. | Nigeria | $1,438,978,000 | +202% |
| 47. | Bulgaria | $1,364,311,000 | +33.8% |
| 48. | Philippines | $1,325,677,000 | +20.1% |
| 49. | Kazakhstan | $1,211,106,000 | +73.4% |
| 50. | India | $1,125,284,000 | +14.8% |
| 51. | Argentina | $1,123,944,000 | -10.3% |
| 52. | Chile | $1,118,744,000 | +36.9% |
| 53. | Serbia | $1,080,078,000 | +107.2% |
| 54. | Lithuania | $1,079,417,000 | +21.1% |
| 55. | Uzbekistan | $1,031,833,000 | 0% |
| 56. | Algeria | $954,537,000 | -32.1% |
| 57. | Croatia | $939,327,000 | +45.2% |
| 58. | Iraq | $901,639,000 | +31.9% |
| 59. | Panama | $899,114,000 | -48.5% |
| 60. | Ecuador | $742,259,000 | +3.2% |
| 61. | Indonesia | $736,832,000 | +23.3% |
| 62. | Lebanon | $713,507,000 | -29.1% |
| 63. | Peru | $677,080,000 | +32.4% |
| 64. | New Zealand | $662,147,000 | +1.5% |
| 65. | Latvia | $633,558,000 | +21.1% |
| 66. | Costa Rica | $582,493,000 | +4.5% |
| 67. | Guatemala | $576,776,000 | +7.5% |
| 68. | Dominican Republic | $574,159,000 | +14.4% |
| 69. | Estonia | $538,238,000 | +38.8% |
| 70. | Kenya | $537,140,000 | +10% |
| 71. | Qatar | $525,003,000 | 0% |
| 72. | Belarus | $519,776,000 | +22.7% |
| 73. | Jordan | $511,639,000 | +10.3% |
| 74. | Morocco | $504,996,000 | +33.3% |
| 75. | Pakistan | $492,017,000 | +16% |
| 76. | Luxembourg | $481,157,000 | +35.8% |
| 77. | Myanmar | $480,569,000 | +56.5% |
| 78. | Kuwait | $478,174,000 | -44.9% |
| 79. | Ethiopia | $469,372,000 | -13.3% |
| 80. | Sri Lanka | $422,221,000 | +4.6% |
| 81. | Iran | $406,929,000 | -63.4% |
| 82. | El Salvador | $389,643,000 | +28.2% |
| 83. | Tanzania | $361,441,000 | +34.9% |
| 84. | Nicaragua | $346,973,000 | -8.8% |
| 85. | Azerbaijan | $327,172,000 | +96.3% |
| 86. | Oman | $306,614,000 | +4.1% |
| 87. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $305,601,000 | +19.4% |
| 88. | Tunisia | $303,487,000 | -22.3% |
| 89. | Malta | $295,666,000 | +106.6% |
| 90. | Uganda | $294,639,000 | +23.1% |
| 91. | Georgia | $291,815,000 | -89.8% |
| 92. | Cyprus | $288,644,000 | +52.5% |
| 93. | Ivory Coast | $266,762,000 | -13% |
| 94. | Sudan | $264,912,000 | -37.2% |
| 95. | Yemen | $264,264,000 | +13.6% |
| 96. | Senegal | $264,162,000 | +58.1% |
| 97. | Mozambique | $251,199,000 | +46% |
| 98. | Macao | $251,003,000 | +38.8% |
| 99. | Ghana | $250,900,000 | +93.1% |
| 100. | Moldova | $231,356,000 | +37.4% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns.
Major Companies
Drugs and Medicines Suppliers
Below are conglomerates that are leading suppliers satisfying the global demand for pharmaceuticals. Shown within parenthesis is the country where the supplying business is headquartered.
- Pfizer (United States)
- Novartis (Switzerland)
- Sanofi (France)
- Roche Holding (Switzerland)
- Merck & Co (United States)
- GlaxoSmithKline (United Kingdom)
- AstraZeneca (United Kingdom)
- Eli Lilly & Co (United States)
- Abbott Laboratories (United States)
- McKesson (United States)
- AbbVie (United States)
- Bristol-Myers Squibb (United States)
- Teva Pharmaceutical (Israel)
- Takeda Pharmaceutical (Japan)
- Merck (Germany)
- Novo Nordisk (Denmark)
- Cardinal Health (United States)
- Otsuka Holding (Japan)
- Astellas Pharma (Japan)
- AmerisourceBergen (United States)
- Daiichi Sankyo (Japan)
- Allergan (United States)
- Mylan (United States)
- Actavis (Ireland)
- Sinopharm Group (China)
- Valeant Pharmaceuticals (Canada)
See also Drugs and Medicine Exports by Country, Fresh or Frozen Beef Imports by Country and Natural Honey Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on August 27, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 27, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 27, 2021
Wikipedia, Drug. Accessed on August 27, 2021
