Hong Kong medical costs to rise 9.9% in 2026

The report identified the introduction of new medical technologies (77%) as the most significant cost driver.

Medical cost inflation in Hong Kong is projected to reach 9.9% in 2026, continuing a trend of high but stable increases that remain below the broader Asia Pacific (APAC) average, according to the latest Global Medical Trends Survey released by WTW.

Hong Kong’s healthcare cost trend stood at 10.3% in 2024 and 9.7% in 2025, compared to APAC’s steeper regional averages of 11.8% and 13.2% in those respective years.

The APAC region is expected to record the highest global increase in medical inflation by 2026, with a projected rise to 14.0%. Insurers across the region expect elevated trends to persist for at least the next three years.

The report, which surveyed 346 insurers across 82 countries, including 18 in APAC, in June and July 2025, identified the introduction of new medical technologies (77%) as the most significant cost driver.

Other key contributors include advances in pharmaceuticals (63%) and limited cost-sharing mechanisms (51%), which also apply to Hong Kong’s private healthcare market.

On the disease front, insurers report that cancer continues to be the fastest-growing and most expensive condition to treat, followed by cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and diabetes—all contributing to ongoing medical inflation in Hong Kong and the region.