Breathing Circuits Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Breathing Circuits Market is projected to expand from USD 1.53 Billion in 2025 to USD 1.91 Billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 3.77%. These medical tubing assemblies are essential for connecting patients to anesthesia machines or ventilators, facilitating the delivery of gases and the removal of carbon dioxide. The market's growth is primarily driven by the increasing incidence of respiratory pathologies and a rise in surgical volumes requiring anesthesia. According to data from the World Health Organization and the European Respiratory Society, chronic respiratory diseases impacted 81.7 million individuals in the WHO European Region in 2025, highlighting the critical need for respiratory support. Additionally, an aging global population prone to respiratory failure continues to drive the demand for mechanical ventilation solutions.

However, the market faces significant challenges related to the environmental footprint and disposal costs associated with disposable plastic circuits. Healthcare facilities are under increasing scrutiny regarding medical waste, creating pressure to implement sustainable yet economically feasible alternatives. This conflict between strict infection control mandates and environmental sustainability targets introduces procurement complexities. In regions with limited budgets, the trade-off between managing infection risks and reducing environmental impact creates bottlenecks that may hinder volume growth.

Market Drivers

The increasing volume of surgical procedures requiring anesthesia serves as a primary driver for the global breathing circuits market. As healthcare systems work to clear backlogs and address the needs of an aging population, the frequency of general anesthesia interventions has risen, leading to a direct increase in the consumption of breathing tubes and masks. This surge in activity is highlighted by national health data; for example, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's December 2025 report on hospital elective surgeries indicated that 940,000 patients were added to public hospital waiting lists during the 2024-25 period, a 3.1% increase from the previous year. Such elevated surgical demand necessitates a reliable supply of airway management interfaces to ensure patient safety during perioperative care.

Concurrently, the market is being reshaped by a decisive transition toward single-use circuits to minimize cross-contamination risks and enhance infection control. Although reusable circuits have been historically common, they present sterilization difficulties that can contribute to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Underscoring this risk, the World Health Organization reported in May 2025 that approximately 7 out of every 100 patients in high-income countries acquire at least one HAI during their hospital stay. This critical safety concern compels hospitals to procure disposable consumables, significantly boosting segment revenues. Reflecting this strong demand, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare reported that revenue for its Hospital product group, which includes respiratory and acute care consumables, reached $1.28 billion in 2025, marking an 18% increase over the prior financial year.

Market Challenges

The environmental impact and associated disposal costs of disposable plastic breathing circuits represent a major restraint on market expansion. As healthcare systems worldwide face stricter environmental regulations, the volume of plastic waste generated by anesthesia and respiratory care has come under intense scrutiny. While disposable circuits are effective for infection control, they contribute significantly to the accumulation of non-biodegradable medical waste. This creates a financial burden for hospitals, as the cost of treating and disposing of regulated medical plastics often exceeds the initial purchase price of the device. Consequently, procurement departments are forced to divert capital from acquiring new stock to managing waste compliance, thereby limiting the budget available for volume growth in consumables.

This procurement bottleneck is quantified by recent industry data concerning the scale of waste generation in critical care settings. According to Practice Greenhealth, in 2025, operating rooms were responsible for more than 30% of a healthcare facility's total waste, a significant portion of which comprised single-use plastics and tubing assemblies. This high concentration of waste in surgical departments compels administrators to enforce rigid purchasing caps to control disposal expenditures. In cost-constrained regions, this financial pressure effectively slows the adoption rate of premium disposable circuits, as institutions delay inventory replenishment to align with waste reduction mandates.

Market Trends

The development of portable and home-care optimized circuit designs is significantly extending market reach beyond traditional hospital settings. As healthcare systems globally prioritize cost-efficient home-based treatments for chronic respiratory conditions like COPD and obstructive sleep apnea, there is a rising demand for lightweight, durable, and user-friendly tubing assemblies compatible with portable ventilators and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. This shift supports long-term respiratory care outside clinical environments, thereby reducing hospital readmission rates and improving patient mobility. Reflecting this strong growth in the home respiratory sector, ResMed Inc. reported in its August 2025 'Form 10-K Annual Report' that net revenue for the fiscal year increased by 10% to reach $5.15 billion, driven by sustained global demand for home-use sleep and respiratory care devices.

Simultaneously, advancements in heated wire and active humidification technologies are revolutionizing the efficacy of respiratory support by precisely replicating physiological conditions. Unlike passive heat and moisture exchangers, modern active circuits utilize embedded heating elements and advanced algorithms to maintain optimal gas temperature and humidity, preventing mucociliary dysfunction and enhancing patient tolerance during therapies such as high-flow nasal oxygen. This technological evolution is becoming essential in intensive care units to preserve airway integrity and improve clinical outcomes for ventilated patients. Highlighting the rapid adoption of these sophisticated solutions, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s May 2025 'Annual Report' noted that revenue from new applications consumables, which includes high-flow therapy interfaces and active humidification systems, grew by 20% over the prior financial year.

Key Players Profiled in the Breathing Circuits Market

• Medtronic PLC
• Ambu A/S
• Flexicare Medical Ltd.
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd.
• Dragerwerk AG & Co.
• Hamilton Medical Inc.
• Armstrong Medical Industries Inc.
• GE Healthcare Technologies Inc.
• Bio Med Devices Inc.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Breathing Circuits Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Breathing Circuits Market, by Product Type:

• Open Breathing Circuits
• Semi Open Breathing Circuits
• Semi-closed breathing systems
• Closed Breathing Circuits

Breathing Circuits Market, by Application:

• Anesthesia
• Respiratory Dysfunction
• Others

Breathing Circuits Market, by End Users:

• Hospitals & Clinics
• Ambulatory Care Centers
• Others

Breathing Circuits Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Breathing Circuits Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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