Belgium MRI Market: Data-Driven Renewal Fueled by 2024–2025 Policy Momentum

Belgium introduced new 2024-2025 imaging reforms designed to deliver faster diagnoses. These reforms support the Federal Health Technology Plan, promoting AI adoption, workflow upgrades, and fair regional access. They also prioritize renewal of aging MRI fleets nationwide. A Federal Health Institute (KCE/RIZIV) utilization review shows rising demand across all regions. MRI activity has increased by more than 20 percent in major centers since 2021. Oncology imaging volumes are also growing at 8-10 percent annually.
As per Hospital Intel Suite (HiS), Brussels, Leuven, and major Flemish hubs lead MRI supply. These centers account for over 55 percent of national scanners. Wallonia maintains broad access but slower renewal rates. Nearly 30 percent of scanners are more than seven years old. Academic hospitals manage the most complex MRI protocols. Community hospitals face rising queues from chronic disease growth. These disparities shape Belgium’s uneven modernization cycle.

Pressure on MRI pathways continues to mount as hospitals demand faster exams and higher-quality imaging. Many hospitals now seek quantitative tools that support precise oncology assessment and reduce reporting uncertainty. AI-supported reconstruction is improving turnaround times in busy centers. However, older scanners still limit workflow and image quality. System renewal has, therefore, become the next essential step in sustaining MRI performance.

Belgium’s recent imaging reforms, together with rising utilization data and the current age profile of MRI systems, point to a diagnostic infrastructure under growing pressure. Major centers are managing steadily increasing exam volumes, supported in part by strong oncology growth. Many hospitals operating older scanners continue to face limitations in image quality and workflow efficiency. Renewal has progressed more quickly in academic hubs than in community sites, resulting in uneven performance across regions. In this environment, fleet modernization is central to maintaining consistent diagnostic capability and achieving equitable, high-quality MRI services across Flanders and Wallonia.