The United States has the largest wellness economy in the world, worth $1.8 trillion

According to a new report, America far surpasses any other country in monetizing wellness and accounts for nearly a third of the total global wellness economy

The United States has by far the largest wellness economy in the world, worth $1.8 trillion, according to a new report from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) in collaboration with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). .

According to GWI, China has the second largest wellness economy in the world, worth $790 billion.

The GWI report concludes that the global wellness economy has made a significant comeback from the pandemic, with most sectors recovering and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Notably, the wellness economy and related sectors are on track for “strong, sustained recovery and growth” in the coming years, which GWI says will be accelerated by consumer interest in wellness practices. The entire global wellness economy was recently valued at $5.6 trillion by GWI.

The U.S. ranks No. 1 in the following nine wellness sectors measured by GWI and also determined the respective growth percentage from 2020 to 2022:

1. Physical activity +22.9%, $338.6 billion
2. Personal care and beauty +13.4%, $310 billion
3. Healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss: +8.4%, $289 billion
4. Wellness tourism: +31.8%, $259 billion
5. Public health, prevention and personalized medicine: -4.9%, $222 billion
6. Wellness properties: +26%, $176 billion
7. Mental well-being: +13.3%, $87 billion
8. Fun: +30.9%, $26 billion
9. Well-being in the workplace: +8.1%, $18 billion

As shown above, sectors such as wellness tourism, wellness real estate and spas experienced the most significant growth from 2020 to 2022.

As GWI points out, there are over 26,000 spas in the United States, making it an ideal destination for wellness seekers. This also goes hand in hand with the growth of wellness tourism.

New York City, the most visited city in the United States, is experiencing a rapid development of wellness clubs that offer tranquility and life-enhancing therapies such as salt saunas and cold plunges. The Ranch, a wellness retreat made famous in Malibu, has opened an outpost just outside of NYC to cater to clients and travelers seeking an East Coast wellness getaway.

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The wellness real estate market is expected to reach nearly $890 billion by 2027 and is certainly a sector to keep an eye on. The demand for wellness shared apartments continues to rise. Life Time, for example, develops apartments that provide residents with common areas for socializing, weekly meal prep deliveries, personal training, nutrition coaches, and access to its world-class fitness and health clubs.

Despite its overall dominance, the U.S. ranked second in the Traditional and Complementary Medicine category and sixth in the Thermal/Mineral Springs sector.

The report is available on GWI's Geography of Wellness platform in collaboration with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Courtney Rehfeldt

Courtney Rehfeldt has been working in the broadcast and media industry since 2007 and has been working as a freelancer since 2012. Her work has been featured in Age of Awareness, Times Beacon Record, and the New York Times, and she has an upcoming article in Slate. She studied yoga and meditation with Beryl Bender Birch at the Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute. She enjoys hiking, being outdoors and is an avid reader. Courtney has a BA in Media and Communication Studies.