China Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery: Obesity Demand, Policy and Device Trends

China's Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Market: Demand, Policy and Device Trends – August/September 2026

2026-09-21

China has the world's largest population of adults aged 25 years and older living with overweight or obesity, creating substantial demand for obesity management.4 In recent years, national policy initiatives, updated clinical guidance and the expansion of multidisciplinary weight-management services have strengthened the treatment landscape. At the same time, bariatric and metabolic surgery volume declined in 2024, showing that market development is unlikely to follow a simple upward trend. The following data highlights the key demand, capacity and market signals.

Market signal	China, latest available evidence
Overweight/obesity rate	About 57% of adults, as of 20231
2030 outlook	Could reach 70.5% of adults without action1, 2
Surgery volume	32,342 procedures in 2024, down 13.2% from 37,249 in 20235
Top procedure	Sleeve gastrectomy, 75.6% of cases (24,443)5
Hospitals offering surgery	About 970 facilities nationwide5
Eligibility guidance	BMI ≥32.5: surgery strongly recommended; BMI 27.5–<32.5: recommended for patients with specified obesity-related comorbidities8
Bariatric surgery market	US$207.18M (2026) growing to US$397.86M (2031)10
Related MIS device market	US$1.71B (2025) growing to US$2.68B (2030)11

China's obesity burden: Key indicators

A 2025 China Obesity Fact List reported that survey data placed the proportion of Chinese adults with overweight or obesity at approximately 57% in 2023.1 Without effective intervention, this rate is projected to reach 70.5% by 2030.1 2 For comparison, the China Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status Report (2020), based on 2018 data, reported an adult overweight rate of 34.3% and an obesity rate of 16.4%.2

Large-scale data also shows clear differences by sex and region. In a 2023 study covering approximately 15.8M adults, 41.1% of men were overweight compared with 27.7% of women, while obesity prevalence was 18.2% among men and 9.4% among women.3 The study also found generally higher overweight and obesity prevalence in northern China than in southern regions.3

China also had the world's largest population of adults aged 25 years and older living with overweight or obesity in 2021, at approximately 402M, according to a global study published in The Lancet (peer-reviewed general medical journal). Under the study's reference scenario, this population is projected to reach approximately 627M by 2050.4

Policy developments are reshaping bariatric surgery in China

China recorded an estimated 32,342 bariatric and metabolic surgery procedures in 2024, down 13.2% from 37,249 in 2023.5 This marked the first year-on-year decline after a prolonged period of procedure growth.

The decline should, however, be considered alongside changes in the clinical and policy environment. China's updated bariatric and metabolic surgery guideline was published in 20248, while the National Health Commission issued the national Obesity Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline also in 202413. The surgical guideline strongly recommends surgery for patients with BMI ≥32.5 and recommends it for patients with BMI 27.5–<32.5 when specified obesity-related comorbidities are present.8 These developments strengthen the clinical framework for obesity treatment, although the 2024 procedure data alone does not show how they will affect future surgery volumes.

Sleeve gastrectomy remained the most common procedure by a wide margin, accounting for 75.6% of all cases (24,443 surgeries). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass accounted for 4.7%, while one-anastomosis gastric bypass represented another 3.8%.5

China is strengthening its obesity treatment framework

China has introduced several initiatives to strengthen obesity prevention, treatment and bariatric surgery services:

In 2023, a national quality-improvement program was launched for bariatric and metabolic surgery, with more than 130 hospitals across 29 provinces applying to participate.6
In 2024, the government launched the three-year “Weight Management Year” initiative, while updated clinical guidelines further clarified obesity diagnosis, treatment and surgical recommendations based on BMI and related comorbidities.7 8 13
In 2024, the National Health Commission issued the Obesity Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline (2024 edition), providing national guidance on obesity diagnosis, treatment and multidisciplinary management13:
- Six recommended procedures, by mechanism13:
  1. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) – limit food intake
  2. Intragastric balloon (IGB) – limit food intake
  3. Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy, also called One Anastomosis Duodenal Switch (SADI-S/OADS) – reduce nutrient absorption
  4. Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) – reduce nutrient absorption
  5. One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) – reduce nutrient absorption
  6. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) – both
    Other surgical approaches and endoscopic treatments may be explored clinically following ethics committee approval.13
- From a medical device perspective, the guideline specifically requires intragastric balloon procedures to use balloon devices formally approved by NMPA. 13
By March 2025, major hospitals were already developing standardized weight-management centers combining nutritional intervention, medication, endoscopic treatment and bariatric surgery.9

Chinese bariatric surgery capacity continues to expand

The 2024 national database report estimated that approximately 970 hospitals were involved in bariatric and metabolic surgery nationwide, supported by around 1,430 bariatric surgeons and 800 case managers. These national estimates were derived through multi-source analysis based on data from 190 participating hospitals across 75 cities and 29 provincial-level regions.5

Earlier public reporting cited more than 300 hospitals routinely performing bariatric and metabolic surgery.6 However, because the earlier figure and the 2024 national estimate were produced using different reporting periods and methodologies, they should not be interpreted as a direct year-on-year increase.

Commercial outlook remains positive across bariatric and MIS segments

China's bariatric surgery market is expected to grow from US$207.18M in 2026 to US$397.86M by 2031, a 13.98% yearly growth rate10

Stapling instruments accounted for 32.1% of the bariatric surgery market in 2025, while gastric balloons are projected to record a 15.42% CAGR through 203110

The broader China minimally invasive surgery device market, which includes bariatric surgery among several clinical applications, is projected to grow from US$1.71B in 2025 to US$2.68B by 203011

Within this broader segment, China's laparoscopic access instruments market was expected to exceed US$40M in 2023.12

Relevant technologies used in bariatric and metabolic procedures include stapling and closure systems, trocars and other laparoscopic access devices, gastric balloons, robotic-assisted platforms and electrosurgical systems. The addressable opportunity varies considerably by product type and clinical application.

Business implications

China's obesity burden, evolving clinical guidance and expansion of multidisciplinary weight-management services indicate sustained demand for obesity treatment. However, the 13.2% decline in bariatric and metabolic surgery volume in 2024 also shows that market growth should not be assessed on prevalence alone.

For medical device companies, the opportunity varies by technology, procedure and care setting. The continued development of bariatric surgery services, together with growth in the broader minimally invasive surgery market, may create opportunities across surgical, endoscopic and related device categories. Market entry should therefore be assessed on a product-specific basis, including NMPA classification, registration pathway, clinical evidence requirements and local commercialization strategy.

Considering opportunities in China's bariatric, metabolic or minimally invasive surgery market?

Qualtech's in-house Chinese regulatory experts at our Beijing office can support product classification, NMPA registration strategy, clinical evidence requirements and post-market compliance, providing local regulatory insight throughout your China market-entry process.

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