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.

1. United States: US$81.9 billion (18.9% of imported drugs/medicines)

2. Germany: $34.4 billion (7.9%)
3. Switzerland: $25.9 billion (6%)
4. China: $21.5 billion (4.9%)
5. Belgium: $20.6 billion (4.7%)
6. Italy: $18.33 billion (4.2%)
7. France: $18.27 billion (4.2%)
8. United Kingdom: $18.1 billion (4.2%)
9. Japan: $17.3 billion (4%)
10. Netherlands: $11.7 billion (2.7%)
11. Spain: $11.6 billion (2.7%)
12. Canada: $8.7 billion (2%)
13. Russia: $7.2 billion (1.7%)
14. Australia: $5.6 billion (1.3%)
15. 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.
Drugs and Medicines Imports by Country
 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)