Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis By Technology (Immunoassay, PCR, Chromatogarphy, and Others), By Test Type (Clinical Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical Testing, and Others), By End User (Hospital & Clinics, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2026-2034

The global laboratory proficiency testing market size was valued at USD 1.62 billion in 2025. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.72 billion in 2026 to USD 2.85 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.52% during the forecast period.

The global laboratory proficiency testing market growth is driven by a demand for testing the safety of water and medical cannabis, stringent regulations regarding safety, and developing healthcare infrastructure. Laboratory proficiency testing is based on comparing laboratory performance with other similar laboratories regarding test accuracy, reliability, and compliance with industry standards.

• According to Association Of Public Health Laboratories, 130 Public health labs were established in US using PT schemes in 2023.

Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market Driver

Stringent Safety and Quality Regulations, Rising Focus on Water Testing, Legalization of Medical Cannabis to Foster the Demand for Laboratory Proficiency Testing

Due to stringent safety and quality regulations, regional bodies are pushing for more labs to comply with proficiency testing, keeping in mind mainly the food and pharmaceutical sectors. There, laboratories were directed by regulatory authorities to carry out frequent tests to conform to certain standards that would enable them to maintain high-quality practices and provide reliable and reproducible results.

The global focus on increased water testing, coupled with the concern for the environment and health, is largely driving laboratory proficiency testing. Laboratories are required to step up and demonstrate accuracy in tests under the continually changing standards and guidelines on water safety.

Cannabis testing laboratories are sprouting as medical cannabis legalization is sweeping through different areas. As the speed with which these laboratories are coming up continues to increase, there is a compelling demand for proficiency testing to prove that the tests conducted are accurate and follow regulations while assuring the safety of products from the market.

Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market Restraint

High Costs of Proficiency Testing Programs, Lack of Awareness in Developing Regions, Need for Harmonization of Testing Schemes may Affect Market Expansion

Prohibitive costs for establishing and participating in proficiency testing programs are a significant hindrance, especially for smaller laboratories with restricted budgets. These costs could prove to restrict adoption, along with the emphasis being increasingly placed on quality assurance and regulatory compliance in laboratory operations.

Inadequate awareness in developing areas regarding the role and benefits of proficiency testing results in the slowdown of market expansion. Many laboratories may deprioritize participation based on a lack of knowledge, therefore reducing the general focus on quality assurance and hampering reliable testing.

The absence of harmonized proficiency-testing schemes across the globe poses one of the main difficulties. Different test protocols do not permit the transfer of results, and compliance becomes very difficult for laboratories operating in a number of countries, which has necessitated the development of a standardized framework that enforces the same outcome testing.

Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market Opportunity

Adoption of Digital and Automated Solutions, Expansion into Emerging Markets, Collaborations and Partnerships to Offer New Growth Avenues

Growth opportunities have manifested as more laboratories are adopting digital and automated solutions for proficiency testing. These technologies improve the precision of testing, enhance workflow, and allow for data analysis in real-time, thus increasing the efficiency and accessibility of proficiency testing across laboratories in different fields.

Emerging market growth remains a major highlight for the laboratory proficiency testing market. In line with the evolving healthcare infrastructure and stricter regulatory standards in several developing countries, the need for valid proficiency testing services in these countries is expected to increase significantly.

Combinations and strategic partnerships altogether hasten the growth of the market and leverage the building of versatile and advanced proficiency testing programs. These partnerships help to merge service delivery, diversify geographical reach, and provide support for strata and quality assurance across varying testing environments.

Segmentation

Key Insights

The report covers the following key insights:

• Incidence of Laboratory Testing Needs, By Key Sectors
• Diagnostic Statistics for Proficiency Testing across Major Regions
• Major Market Drivers, Trends, and Growth Opportunities
• Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players and Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, Partnerships)
• Overview: Regulatory Landscape and Industry Standards

Analysis by Technology

By Technology, the Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market is divided into Immunoassay, PCR, Chromatogarphy, and Others.

The rapidly expanding sectors of immunoassays within the field of laboratory proficiency testing continue to find great relevance and applicability to the changing modes and methods of diagnosis, as the new testing methods have swiftly, within the last few decades, gained significance in the detection of infections, hormonal imbalances, and diseases such as cancer.

The PCRs have become popular because they bring about enormous advances in diagnostics, specifically with respect to viral infections and genetic disorders, with key improvements in specificity, accuracy, and sensitivity for the detection of genetic material. It is within this segment that the growth of the market shall continue to thrive. The PCR segment indeed shall always be one of the most commanding segments in the laboratory proficiency testing market.

Analysis by Test Type

Based on Test Type, the Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market is subdivided into Clinical Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical Testing, and Others.

The clinical diagnostics segment of the laboratory proficiency testing market trends upward with increased demand for accurate and reliable diagnostic tests for different diseases. Factors causing this growth are technological advancements and the prevalence of chronic conditions. This clinical diagnostics segment currently dominates the laboratory proficiency testing market due to increased demand for disease detection.

The pharmaceutical testing segment is growing considerably, given that pharmaceutical companies demand testing standards. This ensures drug quality and efficaciousness. These major factors governing the growth of this segment are evolving regulatory requirements and the acute need.

Analysis by End User

Based on end user, the Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market is divided into Hospital & Clinics, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies, and Others.

Clinics and hospitals are developing relations with laboratory proficiency testing areas with clear indications that this sector will grow in demand for accurate and reliable tests, thereby improving the level of care to patients and potentially increasing diagnostic accuracy in future clinical practice. Such steps, however, belong to bigger developments in health technology and chronic disease increase that have kept demand lengthened in this area.

The entry of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is primarily propelled by regulatory testing requirements stringent for drug development and manufacture. In addition to enhanced R&D activities and regulatory compliance, the intensity of demand for proficiency testing in these sectors is increasing. These factors are some of the reasons likely to make pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies dominate the arena of laboratory proficiency testing.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the Laboratory Proficiency Testing Market has been studied across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

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In the territory of North America is found much of the market for laboratory proficiency testing. This is because North America possesses a well-developed health care infrastructure and crucial guidelines for the regulations. With all this, proficiency testing has been popular with most in the clinical and pharmaceutical laboratories to ensure compliance with quality standards.

Much of what Europe contributes to the market is complemented by the presence of the best proficiency testing companies in Europe and rigorously set EU regulations. Under these regulations, a laboratory should ensure the product quality and safety to the international quality standards through regular proficiency testing.

The Asia Pacific region stands to gain the most on the market development side, primarily because India and China are witnessing the fabled growth in their biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. In addition, investment in healthcare infrastructure continues to be an ongoing phenomenon to drive further adoptions of proficiency testing within the region.

Key Players Covered

The report includes the profiles of the following key players:

• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.)
• LGC Limited (U.K.)
• Randox Laboratories (U.K.)
• Weqas (U.K.)
• AOAC INTERNATIONAL (U.S.)
• Minerva Biolabs GmbH (Germany)
• The College of American Pathologists (U.S.)
• API (France)
• QCMD (U.K.)

Key Industry Developments

In July 2023, LGC Limited acquired Kavo International, strengthening its portfolio of quality measurement tools and proficiency testing services