Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market Size and Share - Growth Analysis Report and Forecast Trends (2026-2035)

Market Overview

The Australia magnetic resonance imaging market is moving from a licence-restricted fleet to a competitive, practice-based market. Private radiology groups, state hospital programs and research facilities are all adding or replacing scanners, with vendors competing on scan speed, bore size and helium use.

Three forces are shaping demand: practice-based Medicare licences from 1 July 2025, with equipment licensing due to end on 1 July 2027; Queensland's A$276 million program for six public MRI machines, announced in October 2025; and helium supply concerns that favour sealed magnets.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports about 1.6 million Medicare-subsidised MRI services in 2024-25, up 60% in a decade, and in May 2026 Jardine Matheson agreed to buy I-MED Radiology Network.

Key Market Trends and Insights

• Licence reform: Integral Diagnostics said its 16 partial licences became full on 1 July 2025, leaving 42 fully licensed MRI machines and 22 unlicensed ones.
• Public hospital build: Queensland committed A$276 million in October 2025 for six new MRI machines and nine CT scanners, adding almost 20% to public MRI capacity.
• Helium exposure: Philips says a conventional scanner needs about 1,500 litres of liquid helium, while its BlueSeal magnet holds about 7 litres, sealed permanently.
• Patient demand: Medicare-subsidised MRI services reached about 1.6 million in 2024-25 from 1.0 million in 2014-15, while average out-of-pocket cost fell to A$227.

Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market Size and Forecast

The market is shifting from a licence-limited fleet towards a broader, practice-based network with stronger hospital and research investment. 1.5T systems lead revenue today because most Medicare-eligible practices run them, while 3T advances fastest as hospitals, children's services and research centres buy higher-gradient, AI-accelerated scanners. Oncology imaging grows as breast and pelvic indications widen, and hospitals expand as states fund public capacity. Sealed and low-helium magnets gain attention as imported helium supply tightens. New South Wales remains the largest state, and Queensland builds fastest as its public program moves from announcement to construction. Replacement cycles and service contracts keep the installed base valuable beyond new system sales.

Key Takeaways: Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market

Licence Reform Widens Access Beyond Specialist Referrals

Revenue should grow from AUD 365.00 million in 2025 to AUD 659.85 million in 2035 at a 6.1% CAGR, as practice-based licences and the planned end of equipment licensing in July 2027 widen Medicare access.

3T And Hospital Programs Lead Growth

1.5T holds the largest share, but 3T grows at an estimated 8.1% CAGR and hospitals at 7.6%, helped by new 3T installations at Newcastle, Brisbane and Perth Children's Hospital.

State Programs Add Public Scanner Capacity

Public health services are funding new scanners beyond metropolitan teaching hospitals, creating tender demand for vendors and service providers.

• Queensland: six new public MRI machines announced in October 2025
• South Australia: new Repat scanner offering up to 80 weekly appointments
• Western Australia: 3T scanner live at Perth Children's Hospital from 3 June 2026

Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market Report Summary

Key Insight

Demand is structural. Licence reform, public hospital programs and ageing fleets support growth, while 3T, oncology and hospital segments expand faster than the overall market through 2035.

Key Trends in the Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market

The Australia magnetic resonance imaging market is being reshaped by licence-driven volume growth, helium supply concerns, higher-field research systems and the first year of practice-based Medicare licensing.

August 2026 - Integral Diagnostics Credits MRI De-Regulation For Growth

• Integral Diagnostics reported FY26 results on 25 August 2026, saying MRI de-regulation helped lift growth in its legacy business by 8.9%.
• Average fees per exam in Australia rose 6.5% as volumes moved towards higher-end CT, MRI and PET scans.
• Group revenue reached A$788.7 million, and the company expects FY27 replacement and growth capital expenditure of A$50 million to A$60 million.

June 2026 - UNSW Highlights Australia's Helium Import Dependence

• A UNSW article of 19 June 2026 noted that Australia imports all its helium after its only producer, at Darwin, stopped in late 2023.
• Researcher Dr Arup George said hospitals around the world ration scans when helium supply is disrupted.
• Many installed scanners hold over 1,000 litres of liquid helium, while newer sealed designs use much less.

February 2026 - Siemens 3T Scanners Open At Newcastle And Brisbane

• The University of Newcastle announced in February 2026 a 3T MAGNETOM Cima.X Fit at the HMRI Imaging Centre, funded with the Mark Hughes Foundation.
• The University of Queensland and Queensland Government opened a 3T MAGNETOM Cima.X at Herston Imaging Research Facility on 10 February 2026.
• The Herston scanner was a collaborative investment of approximately A$1.8 million, with National Imaging Facility funding.

July 2025 - Practice-Based MRI Licences Replace Equipment Licences

• From 1 July 2025 the Department of Health replaced equipment-based Medicare licences with practice-based licences, making partial and ineligible machines at licensed practices fully eligible.
• Eligibility still requires a comprehensive, accredited practice and a machine within its effective life of 10 years, extendable to 20.
• A second stage, planned for 1 July 2027, removes the licence requirement in metropolitan areas.

Key Insight

Reform and results point the same way. Deregulation is lifting volumes, research sites are adopting 3T, and helium supply risk is steering buyers towards sealed magnets.

Recent Market Developments in the Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market

Recent developments, presented from the most recent, show the Australia magnetic resonance imaging market moving from licence reform into ownership change, fee indexation and state-funded capacity.

August 2026 - Sonic Healthcare Reports MRI Growth And Margin Effects

• Sonic Healthcare's review of 20 August 2026 reported radiology revenue of A$1,037 million, with growth strong in CT, MRI and PET-CT.
• Changes to Department of Veterans' Affairs referral guidelines slowed MRI growth during the year, and the effect has now been annualised.
• Ten greenfield sites opened in two years are initially margin-dilutive but expected to become accretive after 18 months.

July 2026 - Medicare Changes Lift Fees And Widen Breast MRI Claiming

• From 1 July 2026 schedule fees for most diagnostic imaging services rose 2.6%, according to the Australasian Sonographers Association.
• The Multiple Services Rule no longer applies to breast MRI item 63464 when performed with other eligible breast imaging.
• The referral window for multiple imaging services on one referral extended from 7 to 14 days.

May 2026 - Jardine Matheson Agrees To Acquire I-MED Radiology Network

• Jardine Matheson announced on 25 May 2026 an agreement to buy 100% of I-MED from funds advised by Permira.
• The enterprise value was A$3.4 billion, and I-MED operates 215 clinics across Australia and New Zealand offering MRI, CT and PET.
• Completion is expected later in 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

October 2025 - Queensland Funds Six New Public MRI Machines

• On 13 October 2025 the Queensland Government announced A$276 million for six MRI machines and nine CT scanners at 11 public sites.
• MRI machines go to Redland, Hervey Bay, Eight Mile Plains, Brighton, Southport and Cairns South.
• Queensland Health's 31 existing MRI machines perform more than 123,000 scans a year, so the program adds almost 20% capacity.

Key Insight

Recent events show capital arriving. Listed groups report licence-driven growth, an owner change is under way at a major network, and states are funding public capacity.

Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Industry Segmentation

The Expert Market Research’s report on the Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments.

Market Breakup by Field Strength

• Below 1.5T
• 1.5T
• 3T
• Above 3T
• Others

1.5T leads because most licensed practices run wide-bore 1.5T fleets, and Siemens Healthineers lists a 1.5T MAGNETOM Flow platform with 0.7 litres of liquid helium. 3T grows fastest at an estimated 8.1% CAGR through 2035, as Perth Children's Hospital began scanning on a A$2.5 million 3T system on 3 June 2026 and the Herston and Newcastle 3T scanners opened in February 2026. Below 1.5T covers open, upright and extremity designs, which draw interest as a June 2026 UNSW article stressed Australia's dependence on imported helium. Above 3T is confined to research sites in the National Imaging Facility network, whose 14 partners share NCRIS-funded scanners.

Market Breakup by Application

• Musculoskeletal
• Neurology
• Oncology
• Cardiovascular
• Others

Musculoskeletal leads because GP-requested joint scans dominate volumes, and PRP Diagnostic Imaging said in August 2025 that its Wollongong and Shellharbour sites could offer 120 Medicare-funded scan types after licensing changed. Oncology grows fastest at an estimated 7.3% CAGR through 2035, as breast MRI item 63464 lost its Multiple Services Rule restriction on 1 July 2026. Neurology draws on Newcastle's February 2026 scanner for brain cancer and dementia research. Cardiovascular benefits from Wollongong Hospital's October 2025 MRI, planned for breast, biopsy and cardiac imaging. Others includes paediatric, abdominal and pelvic examinations.

Market Breakup by End User

• Diagnostic Imaging Centres
• Hospitals
• Research and Academic Institutes
• Others

Diagnostic Imaging Centres lead because private groups hold most licensed capacity, and Integral Diagnostics said in August 2026 that MRI de-regulation supported 8.9% growth in its legacy business. Hospitals grow fastest at an estimated 7.6% CAGR through 2035, supported by Queensland's October 2025 program, the Alfred's wide-bore bariatric scanner funded in July 2025 and Eurobodalla Regional Hospital's machine, installed in September 2026. Research and Academic Institutes rely on the University of Queensland's February 2026 opening. Others covers mobile and specialist clinics, which follow the same licence reform as practice-based operators.

Market Breakup by Region

• New South Wales
• Victoria
• Queensland
• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Others (incl. Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory)

New South Wales dominates, anchored by the Wollongong Hospital MRI installed in October 2025 and the Eurobodalla machine delivered in September 2026, and grows at an estimated 5.7% CAGR. Queensland is fastest at an estimated 6.9%, after announcing six public machines in October 2025. Western Australia grows at 6.5%, led by Perth Children's 3T scanner in June 2026. South Australia, at 6.3%, will gain a new SA Medical Imaging scanner at the Repat precinct by the end of 2026. Victoria, at 5.8%, funded a wide-bore bariatric scanner for Alfred Health in July 2025. Others, at 5.5%, covers Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory.

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If you choose to purchase the full report at a later stage, the amount already paid will be adjusted, and you will only need to pay the remaining balance.

Competitive Landscape in the Australia Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market

Competition combines global scanner makers, radiology groups and research-linked buyers. Entry barriers include installed-base service networks, Medicare licence eligibility, helium resilience, capital for replacement cycles and the ability to deliver faster AI-assisted acquisition.

Siemens Healthineers

Siemens Healthineers, headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, supplies the MAGNETOM range in Australia, including the 1.5T MAGNETOM Flow with 0.7 litres of liquid helium and 3T Cima.X systems. In February 2026 a 3T MAGNETOM Cima.X Fit upgrade was completed at the HMRI Imaging Centre in Newcastle, and a Cima.X opened at Herston Imaging Research Facility in Brisbane, an investment of approximately A$1.8 million.

Philips

Philips supplies MRI to Australian hospitals and clinics through its Australia and New Zealand imaging business. In August 2026 Ari Wood, its acting head of imaging, said the BlueSeal magnet uses about 7 litres of helium sealed for life, against about 1,500 litres in conventional systems, with more than 2,000 BlueSeal systems installed worldwide. In November 2025 Philips previewed BlueSeal Horizon, a helium-free 3.0T platform not yet available in any jurisdiction.

I-MED Radiology Network

I-MED Radiology Network, formed in 2000, offers MRI alongside CT, PET, nuclear medicine, ultrasound and X-ray across 215 clinics in Australia and New Zealand, with more than 500 radiologists in Australia. On 25 May 2026 Jardine Matheson agreed to acquire it from funds advised by Permira at an enterprise value of A$3.4 billion, with completion expected later in 2026.

Integral Diagnostics

Integral Diagnostics, headquartered in East Melbourne, operates radiology practices in Australia and New Zealand, including the former Capitol Health sites. At its October 2025 annual meeting it said 16 partial MRI licences became full on 1 July 2025, leaving 42 fully licensed and 22 unlicensed MRI machines. Its FY26 results on 25 August 2026 reported revenue of A$788.7 million.

Other players operating in the Australia magnetic resonance imaging market include Sonic Healthcare, GE HealthCare, Canon Medical Systems, Fujifilm, and Qscan, alongside independent radiology practices, service providers and distributors supplying scanners, coils and maintenance across Australia.

Key Insight

Competition combines global scanner makers and radiology groups. Winning depends on installed-base service, helium resilience, AI reconstruction, licence-ready sites and access to capital for replacement cycles.