Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 0.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €5.1bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Investors are increasingly shaping the German ophthalmology market
- In recent years, international private equity companies have recognised German medical practices as an attractive investment opportunity. Their business model consists of acquiring smaller practices, bundling them into larger medical care units and later reselling these bundled units at a profit. These investors gain access to the outpatient healthcare market primarily through medical care centres (MVZ). MVZs do not necessarily have to be operated by doctors, but can also be run by investors, hospitals or local authorities. Originally, the introduction of MVZs in 2024 was justified with the aim of improving outpatient care, particularly in structurally weak regions.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Demographic change and chronic diseases of civilisation are increasing the need for ophthalmological care
- With demographic change in Germany, the risk of chronic diseases that can jeopardise eyesight in the long term is increasing. The most common causes of blindness in old age include age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. At the same time, the prevalence of chronic diseases of civilisation such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure, which can cause considerable damage to eyesight if left untreated, is increasing. Around 8.6 million adults currently suffer from diabetes, with the proportion of younger patients between the ages of 45 and 60 rising steadily and already falling below the average age of onset of 61.7 years.
Biggest companies in the Ophthalmologists in Germany
There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Ophthalmologists in Germany industry.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Diagnostic services, Therapeutic services and Surgical services. Diagnostic services is the largest segment of the Ophthalmologists in Germany.
Trends and Insights
Diagnostics benefits from demographic change and VDU work
- The diagnostics service segment includes vision tests and refraction determinations, examinations to diagnose eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and retinal diseases, as well as imaging procedures such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus photography.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The ophthalmology sector comprises doctors who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and the rehabilitation of visual disorders. Ophthalmologists work in individual practices, professional practice groups or medical care centres (MVZ). The sector also includes eye surgery, which performs eye operations. Elective procedures include laser eye surgery, cataract surgery and advanced surface laser ablation.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany include Diagnostic services, Therapeutic services, Surgical services, Contact lens fitting and care and Paediatric and adolescent ophthalmology.Companies
Companies covered in the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany include .Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany include macular degeneration, glaukom and cataract.Industry Code
WZ 86.22.0 - Ophthalmologists in Germany
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
The budgeting of statutory health insurance does not cover all outpatient ophthalmological services. Modern examination and treatment procedures are often not included in the...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Factors that influence volatility in the industry
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Diagnostics is experiencing increasing demand for eye tests and improved diagnostic technologies due to demographic change and frequent screen time. The area of therapeutic s...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
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In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
More and more ophthalmologists are joining forces in medical care centres, while the number of individual practices and professional practice associations is falling. Neverth...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Ophthalmologists are subject to a large number of laws and regulations such as the Federal Medical Code, the professional code of conduct of the respective state medical assoc...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The fee for ophthalmologists is falling despite rising costs for staff and operating expenses. The budget paid out to doctors often only covers the basic flat rate and most o...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
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What is the market size of the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany in 2025?
The market size of the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany is €5.1bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany in 2025?
There are 3,756 businesses in the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.7 % between 2020 and 2025.
Has the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 0.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What does the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany include?
Diagnostic services and Therapeutic services are part of the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany.
How competitive is the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany?
The level of competition is low and steady in the Ophthalmologists industry in Germany.
Related Industries
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International industries
View all industries in Germany
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Germany include:
- German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
- European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
- United Nations Comtrade
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
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