NGS-based RNA-Sequencing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product and Service (Sample Preparation Products, Sequencing Platforms and Consumables, Sequencing Services, Data Analysis, Storage, and Management), By Technology (Sequencing by Synthesis (SBS), Ion Semiconductor Sequencing, Single-molecule Real-time Sequencing (SMRT), Nanopore Sequencing), By Application (Expression Profiling Analysis, Small RNA Sequencing, De Novo Transcriptome Assembly, Variant Calling and Transcriptome Epigenetics), By End-User (Research and Academia, Hospitals and Clinics, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2025-2033

NGS-based RNA-Sequencing Market Size

The global NGS-based RNA-sequencing market size was valued at USD 3.64 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 4.26 billion in 2025 to USD 14.95 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 17% during the forecast period (2025-2033).

In the early 2000s, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was developed and commercialized in the market. Together, these advances democratized NGS and paved the way for the development of a large number of novel NGS applications in basic science as well as in translational research areas, such as clinical diagnostics, Agri genomics, and forensic science. RNA-sequencing, also abbreviated as RNA-Seq, is a technique that can quantify and examine the RNA sequences of a sample using next-generation sequencing (NGS). It is often used to investigate and discover the transcriptome, gene expression levels, and the total cellular content of RNAs, including mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA.

The technique often provides key insights that allow scientists to develop a deeper understanding of the biology of a cell and assess changes that may indicate disease. Some of the most popular domains of RNA-seq include transcriptional profiling, SNP identification, RNA editing, and differential gene expression analysis.

NGS-based RNA-Sequencing Market Drivers

Advantages of RNA-seq to provide an edge over other technologies

RNA-seq is widely regarded as superior to other technologies, such as microarray hybridization. Several scientific reasons can be accounted for by RNA-seq’s well-regarded status. Firstly, it is not limited to genomic sequences, unlike hybridization-based approaches. This makes it fundamentally superior for the detection of novel transcripts, SNPs, or other alterations. Further, there has been a wave of innovation that has hit the market because of the key players constantly competing to launch products that minimize conventional disadvantages.  

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) is one such technological advancement that has brought immense development in the field of biology and precision medicine. Traditional techniques are often time-consuming, further driving the demand for RNAseq. For instance, Illumina launched a COVID-Seq, a novel COVID-19 rapid detection test kit with a high-throughput next-generation RNA sequencing-based assay that typically generates results within 24 hours using the NovaSeq 6000 Sequencing System.

Coronavirus pandemic to surge the need for NGS-based RNA-sequencing 

Over the past six years, there has been an explosion of interest in using scRNA-seq to provide answers to biologically and medically related questions, both in experimental animals and humans. The rising number of research activities involving RNA-seq, along with rapid growth in precision, drives the market growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous new opportunities for the use of products from the NGS-based RNA-Sequencing market, thus catalyzing the overall market growth. For instance, Inference, a Cambridge-based company, opened its commercial application and resources of scRNA-seq to help fight COVID-19. In March 2020, they also joined the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition, coordinated by The MITRE Corporation, along with the leaders of the Mayo Clinic, Leavitt Partners, and several Massachusetts

Regional insights

North America leads the NGS-based RNA-sequencing market as the region is backed by the support of the state government and elaborate funding for genomics research. The growing prevalence of target diseases and surging research on cancer and inherited rare diseases drive market growth. The U.S. government has historically put forward huge funding in the past for genomic research, such as the Human Genome Project and the Human Microbiome Project.

• The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) continues to provide such lucrative funding for genomic research. Statistically, the U.S., in the past decade, has spent more than any other country on genomics research, corresponding to 35% of the overall worldwide public funding.

The strong presence of key market players, such as Illumina, Thermo Fisher, and Agilent Technologies, and Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., drives the regional market growth. Apart from this, the constant technological advancements in Silicon Valley have played a massive role in the development of next-generation sequencing-based RNA-sequencing. Statistics show; currently, one in 12,000 Indians goes for RNA sequencing, while in the U.S. one in every 10 Americans prefers this test for cancer diagnosis.

Asia Pacific NGS-based RNA-Sequencing Market Trends

Surging focus on R&D activities based on genomic research in Asia-Pacific drives the market growth. This has broadened the scope of RNA-Seq applications and reduced the costs of NGS products and services. India’s leading genomics company, Positive Bioscience, is offering personal genomics and cancer genomics products, and further plans to launch more than 200 personalized genetic testing facilities across the country over a span of three years from 2017. One such massive product was launched in 2018, PositiveSelect. It is an RNA sequencing test for cancer treatment that detects genomic alterations in 25,000 genes and recommends the most probable treatment options and responses.

Furthermore, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NGS-based RNA-sequencing is witnessing a significant surge in demand, as many have opted for the technique to develop cost-effective and rapid test kits. The Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), a premier Institute of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in New Delhi, has been involved in monitoring and assessing the ability of Illumina’s COVID-Seq research assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Technology Insights

Technology is the fastest-growing segment due to the significant advantages of the NGS-based RNA sequencing that offers more sensitive and accurate gene expression, a wide range of applications across species, and is available at comparatively lower prices. Among these, the SBS segment dominates the market due to the availability of new and advanced NGS platforms from key stakeholders. For instance, Illumina, Inc. offers a system that uses sequencing by synthesis technology. 

End User Insights

NGS-based RNA-sequencing has been used extensively as a diagnostic tool in pathogen, plant, animal, and human genomics. Ideally, this technique has the ability to perform in real-time and can easily detect more complex and larger genomic variants. It has several potential clinical implications as the burden of genomic disorders is increasing. For clinical research, they have revolutionized the study of complex microbial regions by making it is easier.

The NIHR’s early translational infrastructure, which is at the core of the NIHR-BHF Cardiovascular Partnership, has noteworthy expertise and capabilities in cardiovascular science. The NIHR has committed over USD 54.20 million from 2017- 2022 in cardiovascular research through numerous of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), which are also aided by NIHR Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs), as well as genomics, imaging, and informatics platforms.

With a strategy focused on linking the gap between lab-based science and novel treatments for patients, the BHF is the UK’s largest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory disorders. In 2018, the BHF awarded more than USD 100 million in grants for medical research and will remain dedicated to funding research that will benefit patients. Such partnerships and investments have strengthened the market, significantly driving the application of NGS sequencing in various domains.

Recent Developments

• In 2020, nference launched a software resource that synthesizes disparate scRNA-seq data sets to combat the COVID-19 health crisis
• In October 2019, QIAGEN launched pioneering technologies for rapid and simpler library preparation for next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the developing field of RNA research as follows:
  • QIAseqFastSelect Kits, designed for human, mouse, and rat samples that remove ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and globin messenger RNA (globin mRNA) to optimize RNA sequencing. This kit is estimated to remove more than 97% of rRNA and globin mRNA from mammalian samples to give more precise results.
  • The QIAseq FastSelect 5S/16S/23S Kit, designed for complex microbial communities in soil, water, stool, and sludge samples, eliminates abundant bacterial 5S/16S/23S rRNA from RNAseq libraries.