Ranking · 5 countries · 2025
Median drug approval time by country (2025)
Switzerland had the highest median drug approval time in 2025, at 413 days, followed by Canada (369 days) and Australia (350 days). The ranking compares 5 countries on 2025 figures from CIRS. Japan ranked last of the 5, at 292 days. For reference, the European Union stood at 448 days.
How this ranking is built. Indicator: Median drug approval time · Industry: Pharmaceuticals · Period: 2025. Only verified actual figures for that one period are ranked, so every row is comparable; forecasts are not ranked, and world or regional totals are shown as reference, not ranked.
Visualised
Ranked chart
Median drug approval time by country
2025
European Union: 448 days: 448 days
View the underlying data
| Category | Source | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science | Actual | 413 days |
| Canada | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science | Actual | 369 days |
| Australia | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science | Actual | 350 days |
| United States | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science | Actual | 322 days |
| Japan | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science | Actual | 292 days |
The table
Country ranking
Rank · country · value · source. Values in days.
| # | Country | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland CH | 413 days | 2025 | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science |
| 2 | Canada CA | 369 days | 2025 | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science |
| 3 | Australia AU | 350 days | 2025 | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science |
| 4 | United States US | 322 days | 2025 | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science |
| 5 | Japan JP | 292 days | 2025 | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science |
| — | European Union Reference total, not ranked | 448 days | 2025 | Centre for Innovation in Regulatory Science |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest median drug approval time?
Switzerland, at 413 days in 2025, ahead of Canada (369 days) and Australia (350 days), among 5 countries ranked on 2025 figures from CIRS.
Which country has the lowest median drug approval time?
Japan, at 292 days in 2025, then the United States (322 days).
What does this ranking measure?
Median duration in days required by a regulatory authority to approve a new active substance application.
Which countries are included?
5 countries with 2025 figures: Switzerland, Canada, Australia, United States and Japan.
Where does the data come from?
From CIRS. Every value links to its record, which quotes the table or sentence it was read from. Only actual figures are ranked; forecasts are left out.
Cite & reuse
Cite this ranking
Published under CC BY 4.0.
StatOrigin. (2026). Median drug approval time by country, 2025. Retrieved from https://statorigin.org/rankings/median-drug-approval-time-by-country