GEORGE TOWN: Malaysia is ranked the world's sixth-best medical tourism destination, with Penang contributing about 45% of the industry's nationwide revenue, cementing its position as the country's leading healthcare hub.
Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the latest 2026 Global Top 10 Medical Tourism Destinations ranking by Travel And Tour World placed Malaysia sixth, behind Turkey, Thailand, India, Mexico and South Korea.
He said Malaysia's strong performance was driven by its internationally accredited hospitals, English-speaking healthcare professionals, modern medical technology, affordable treatment costs and strong government support for the industry.
"Malaysia has successfully attracted patients from around the world through its high-quality healthcare services, competitive pricing and well-developed medical tourism ecosystem," he said in a statement on Tuesday (July 7).
Wong said Malaysia's medical tourism revenue rose from RM2.72bil in 2024 to RM3.35bil in 2025, a 23.2% increase, while the number of international patients grew from 1.6 million to 1.85 million, up 15.6%.
He said Penang remained the country's top medical tourism destination, with data from the Penang Centre of Medical Tourism showing that the state's 16 participating private hospitals treated 527,176 foreign patients in 2025, up 25.94% from 418,608 in 2024.
Medical tourism revenue in Penang also increased by 26.6% year-on-year, rising from RM898.07mil in 2024 to RM1.14bil in 2025.
"Penang contributes approximately 45% of Malaysia's total medical tourism revenue, maintaining its position as the country's undisputed medical tourism capital," he said.
Wong attributed Penang's continued success to its ability to offer internationally recognised healthcare services at competitive prices, allowing patients to enjoy significant savings compared with destinations such as Singapore and many Western countries.
He also highlighted Penang's multilingual environment as a key competitive advantage, saying effective communication played an important role in the overall medical tourism experience.
Besides Malay and English, healthcare providers and the local community are able to communicate in Mandarin, Tamil and Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka and Cantonese.
Wong said this was particularly beneficial for Indonesian patients, Penang's largest medical tourism market, as Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia are closely related, while many ethnic Chinese from Medan also speak Hokkien, a dialect widely used in Penang.
"The minimal language barrier allows patients to seek treatment, arrange accommodation and travel with greater ease, further strengthening Penang's position as the preferred destination for Indonesian medical tourists," he added.
