Yoga offers a wide range of physical and mental health benefits, as evidenced by many of the phrases that you'll see yoga practitioners use in real life. According to John Hopkins Medicine, practicing yoga regularly can help to improve strength, flexibility and balance. Also, a regular yoga practice may help with back pain relief, help you to relax, unwind and sleep better. Furthermore, yoga can help you to manage stress and alleviate anxiety.
And while yoga has been around for hundreds of years, it started gaining popularity across the world in the last few years. Currently, yoga is practiced in almost all countries in the world. So, whether you are in South America or North America, Asia or Europe, there’s a high chance you will find a yoga studio near you.
In this article, we will delve deep into the yoga industry. We will walk you through yoga industry statistics at a glance, global yoga industry statistics, yoga demographics, statistics on yoga as a business as well as yoga industry trends. Whether you are a yoga enthusiast looking to learn more about the industry, a prospective yoga instructor or are wellness entrepreneur who wants to invest in this industry, this article has all the information you need.
1. Yoga Industry Statistics Overview
Over the last few years, yoga has become massively popular across the globe. And as a result, yoga studios and yoga classes have sprung up almost everywhere.
According to yoga industry statistics released by Expert Market Research, the global yoga market was valued at approximately $41 billion in 2020. It’s projected to experience a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.6% between 2021 and 2026, thereby hitting the 60 billion mark by 2026.
According to a yoga report published by The Good Body, there are approximately 300 million yoga practitioners globally. And this number is expected to increase considerably, over the next few years.
The same report also notes that the top five reasons for practicing yoga are to improve flexibility, stress relief, improve overall health, general fitness as well as improving physical fitness. An increase in awareness regarding health and fitness combined with an increase in disposable income are among the key drivers of global yoga industry growth.
Currently, there are more than 100 styles of yoga, according to a yoga industry report published by Compare Camp. Some of the most popular types of yoga include Vinyasa yoga, Hatha yoga, Kundalini yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga, Yin yoga, Aerial yoga, Restorative yoga and Bikram yoga, to name just a few.
2. Yoga Demographics
While yoga is practiced by both men and women, women are the dominant gender. According to the latest yoga statistics, 82% of yoga practitioners are male while 18% are female. However, there has been a 150% rise in the number of male yoga practitioners, between 2015 and 2016, according to yoga statistics by Compare Camp.
As earlier noted, the yoga industry is witnessing considerable growth across all continents. And according to AP News, there will be more than 350 million yoga practitioners globally by the end of this decade.
On average, 12% of people who practice yoga are in the advanced levels, 22% are intermediate, 37% are completely new to yoga while 27% are beginners. And as for where people practice, 67% do it at home, 43% go to the gym, 32% practice yoga outdoors, 38% go to yoga studios, 20% attend yoga wellness festivals while another 20% practice yoga at special events. This is according to a yoga industry survey conducted by Eventbrite.
3. Global Yoga Statistics
North America dominates the largest market share in the yoga industry, in terms of revenue. This is according to a yoga market report published by Expert Market Research. According to the same report, the U.S will continue to account for a considerable share of the market, as more yoga studios are opened in the country. Also, an increase in the sales of yoga gear through both online and offline channels will also contribute to its market dominance.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience the fastest growth rate, according to a yoga industry statistics report by Global News Wire. Between 2018 and 2025, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to register a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12.9%. And by 2025, the Asia Pacific region is expected to account for a third of the global yoga market share. This can be attributed to an increasing consumer spending on health, wellness and fitness in the region, especially China and India.
4. U.S Yoga Market Statistics
As earlier mentioned, yoga is one of the most popular fitness activities in the U.S. And as you may expect, the yoga market is equally big. Based on yoga industry statistics by Eventbrite, the average yogi spends approximately $62,000 over their lifetime in yoga. This money is spent on yoga workshops, classes, and yoga accessories. And this translates to approximately $90 monthly.
Furthermore, the average yoga practitioner is willing to spend approximately $40 per session. Also, approximately 6% of yoga practitioners are willing to spend even more than $100 on a wholesome and memorable yoga experience. So, if you are a yoga event creator or yoga tutor, yoga presents a great earning opportunity.
5. Yoga Instructor Statistics
If you are looking to become a yoga tutor or instructor, you may be interested to learn more about the latest yoga instructor statistics. Such information will help you to decide how best to position yourself on the market. With that said, here are the latest yoga instructor statistics:
According to Indeed, the average yoga instructor salary in the U.S in 2021 currently stands at approximately $30. From the same source, Florida and Orlando are the highest paying cities for yoga tutors in the U.S.
Yoga instructors in these two states take home approximately $47 per hour. Yoga tutors in California, New York and San Francisco also earn decent hourly wages.
The average yearly salary of yoga instructors in the U.S is around $41,000. However, if you have a specialization in holistic medicine, then you will be taking home a considerably higher wage than most of the others.
According to yoga industry statistics published by Zippia, yoga tutors in the education sector earn more than those in the other industries do. For instance, they take home approximately $47,000 annually while those working in the hospitality industry earn around $36,000 annually.
6. Yoga Industry Statistics by Segment
People practice yoga either offline in yoga studios or using online yoga courses. So, which is the most popular segment among yoga practitioners? Well, the offline segment remains the dominant method of practicing yoga.
Its strong dominance can be attributed to the ready availability of private yoga sessions, well-maintained yoga facilities as well as attention to detail given by the yoga instructors.
And based on a yoga industry report by Globe News Wire, the offline method will continue to dominate over the next couple of years. But, the virtual yoga course segment is projected to grow at a higher rate than the offline segment.
7. Yoga Mat Market Size
The global yoga mat market size continues to expand, thanks to the increase in the number of people taking up yoga.
According to a yoga mat market size survey conducted by Grand View Research, the market was valued at approximately $11.67 billion in 2018. It’s projected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.8% between 2019 and 2025.
The increasing awareness of the health benefits of yoga, together with the rise in lifestyle diseases are some of the factors boosting product demand.
Furthermore, the increase in the number of yoga studios both in developed and developing regions is another factor that is driving product demand.
Also, some governments across the world have come up with various initiatives to support and promote yoga.
For instance, the government of India opened over 100 yoga parks in the country in 2017. And several other such measures are being implemented worldwide. As you may expect, such measures will also increase the purchase of yoga mats.
Some of the leading sellers of yoga mats include Omstars LLC., Alo Moves Inc., Flyogi LLC., Momo Studio B.V, One Yoga London, Yoga International, Yoga Today LLC, Yogapproved LLO., and Yoga Today LLC.
Others include JadeYoga, Barefoot Yoga Co., Manduka, Hathayoga, LuluLemon Athletica, Sequential Brands Group, Hugger Mugger Para Rubber and GAIAM, to name just a few.
8. Yoga Industry Trends
Similar to other fitness niches, the yoga industry also experiences trends and changes every year. So, what can you expect in the coming years? Here are the biggest yoga trends to expect going forward:
8.1 Increased Focus on Mental Health
Anxiety, stress, depression and other mental health conditions have increased considerably over the last year, catalyzed by the global pandemic. Therefore, you can expect yoga teachers to prioritize mental health.
Going forward, you can expect yoga teachers to lean towards the meditative aspects of yoga as opposed to asana-based practices.
8.2 Virtual Yoga Classes
The closure of yoga studios in 2020 didn’t stop yoga enthusiasts from enjoying their favorite practice.
Yoga tutors continued offering sessions via Instagram live, Zoom and other streaming platforms.
And building on the success of this approach, you can expect pre-recorded and live yoga classes to be a trend in the coming years.
9. Closing Remarks
Yoga has been around for thousands of years and based on the above yoga industry statistics, it’s not going anywhere any time soon. While it may have been significantly affected by the global pandemic in 2020, the outlook is positive and it will continue to experience serious growth going forward.