The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit dedicated to research and education in the global wellness industry, has released new data on the United States’ fast-growing wellness economy, which at $2 trillion, is the largest in the world. The U.S. market has ranked number one since the GWI began measuring the global wellness economy in 2014. Widening its lead over other large wellness markets, the U.S. wellness industry is more than $1.1 trillion larger than China’s, the second-largest market, and more than six times larger than Germany’s, which ranks third.
With the largest and fastest growing wellness economy, the U.S. recorded 8.3 percent annual growth from 2019 to 2023, compared to 4.9 percent for China, 5.9 percent for Germany, and 3.1 percent for Japan. Remarkably, by 2023, the U.S. market had expanded 37 percent beyond its pre-pandemic size in 2019.
Today’s $2 trillion U.S. market represents nearly one-third (32 percent) of the entire global wellness economy, with American consumers spending more than $6,000 per person annually on wellness.
The 2025 report is available on GWI’s Geography of Wellness platform thanks to a continued partnership with NASM, a global leader in evidence-based education and certification for fitness and wellness professionals. “At NASM, we are committed to advancing the wellness industry through education, innovation, and data-driven insights,” says Kristin Carrico, chief commercial officer at NASM. “The US Geography of Wellness Report offers an essential perspective on the evolving industry, helping us better understand trends that impact fitness professionals, businesses, and communities. By supporting this initiative, we reaffirm our dedication to empowering wellness professionals with the knowledge and resources they need to drive positive change. Access to this data enables industry leaders to make informed decisions, shaping the future of health and wellbeing in the U.S.”
For the third consecutive year, NASM’s sponsorship enabled the GWI to conduct comprehensive research across all 11 sectors of the US wellness economy. “We are so grateful for NASM’s continued support of this research into the largest wellness market in the world,” says Susie Ellis, GWI’s chair & CEO. “With its mission to elevate industry standards through education and professional development, NASM is helping to make this important data available for free to those who need it most, from government entities to investors and business leaders—all of whom are keeping a close eye on this fast-growing market.”
The U.S. Wellness Economy
With a large pool of sophisticated consumers, the U.S. wellness market is deep, dynamic, and innovative. The U.S. is a global innovation leader in many wellness sectors, pioneering new products, services, and therapies in many spaces—from food and beverages, fitness programs, and mind-body treatments to recovery, sensory experiences, and diagnostic technologies that meet the emerging and diverse wellness needs of consumers. A growing number of Americans live and work in intentionally planned wellness real estate developments, which put human health and wellbeing at the center of their design and operations.
The U.S. ranked number one globally in nine of the 11 wellness sectors in 2023, including the following sectors:
- Wellness Real Estate ($180.6 billion)
- Physical Activity ($376.8 billion)
- Healthy Eating, Nutrition, and Weight Loss ($308.7 billion)
- Mental Wellness ($107.9 billion)
- Workplace Wellness ($17.9 billion)
- Public Health, Prevention & Personalized Medicine ($285.9 billion)
- Personal Care & Beauty ($363.5 billion)
- Wellness Tourism ($300.6 billion, with 207.5 million wellness trips)
- Spas ($28.7 billion)
For more information on living well in the U.S., click here.
