100 Yoga Statistics – How the Ancient Exercise is Reinventing Itself

Yoga is not just a workout routine; it is a fountain of ancient wisdom about how to keep our mind and body healthy. Whether you are a practicing or an aspiring one, these 100 yoga statistics will help you understand the popularity and spread of this ancient exercise form.

Did you know that Yoga is nearly 5000 years old? The ancient practice was first introduced to the US in 1863, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that it became a part of popular culture.

Since then, yoga has become a part of American life, with many celebrities and fitness gurus giving it special status among exercise regimes. 

Today, this ancient practice has evolved into a revolution as people of all ages, creeds, and colors come together to enjoy its many benefits. As a yoga practitioner, it is important that you keep abreast of how yoga is gaining popularity, what are its benefits and what you need to be aware of when practicing yoga.

We present to you some facts that would leave you fascinated as to the depth of how this ancient form of exercise has reinvented itself, and become an integral part of everyone’s fitness goals.

Yoga By the Numbers

1. There are 300 million yogis in the world. Out of these, 36 million are living in the US. As per this survey, the number of Americans practicing yoga grew from 20 million to a whopping 36 million ‘active’ members between 2012 and 2016. The research, however, was done a few years back – this means that by now, the count must have passed the mark of 50 million!
2. Every third American has tried practicing yoga at least once. No wonder Yoga is now considered as popular as golf in the US!
3. The number of adults practicing yoga over 50 has tripled in the last four years.
4. As per a study published in Harvard Health Publishing, 1.7 million children practice yoga in the US. There has been a significant increase of approximately 400,000 children who practice yoga in 2012 compared to 2007.
5. Though most yoga practitioners are women (~70%), the number of male yogis increased to 10 million from 4 million between 2012 and 2016. In these 4 years, number of men practicing yoga accelerated by a staggering 150%.

Yoga Demographics: Who are Yogis?

6. While number of male yoga practitioners is increasing by leaps and bounds, there are approximately 72% female yogis in America.
7. People of all age groups, specifically from 30 to 50, practice yoga. For your perusal:-
   1. 19% of yoga practitioners are 18 – 29 years-old
   2. 43% of yoga practitioners are 30 – 49 years-old
   3. 38% of yoga practitioners are 50+ years-old
8. 74% of yogis in the US have been practicing yoga for more than five years.
9. According to IBIS World, from 2002 to 2012, Yoga and Pilates industry grew by 12.1% per year, making yoga the fastest growing industry in the US in 2012.
10. 65% of yogis practice this ancient art at home. Of the ones that perform yoga outside, about 48% of practitioners perform yoga at gyms, and 45% do their practice at a yoga studio.
11. 64% of yogis wanted to practice more of this ancient discipline in 2019.

12. As per a report by Eventbrite, only 12% of yoga practitioners claim to be advanced yogis. The next lot is the 37% who have only started practicing the discipline, and 27% are on the beginner’s level. Around 22% of yogis say that they are on the intermediate level.
13. As per research performed by the US National Medical Library, it was concluded that only 2% of yogis smoke.
14. According to this report, about 10% of yoga practitioners in the US are vegetarian, which is four times the rate of vegetarianism found in the country. That’s quite impressive!
15. This research has revealed that more than 85% of yoga people are well educated and hold degrees.
16.  According to Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance (2016), more than 75% of yoga practitioners are also interested in taking part in other forms of exercise, including running, cycling, and more.
17. As per this report, 89% of yogis in the US practice yoga 1-5 hours a day.

Yoga Industry Statistics: How Big is Yoga Industry?

18. Yogis in America are spending approximately $16 billion on yoga classes, books, clothing, infrastructure, and equipment.
19. The yoga market is expected to reach $66.2 billion by 2027 across the world (according to a report published by Allied Market Research).
20. On a global level, the yoga industry has surpassed the mark of $80 billion, the equivalent trillion Big Macs!
21. This yoga trend has also led to a developing interest in activewear, mainly exhibited by people between 25 and 34. In other words, people in the above age group spend the most on yoga wear. Lululemon, one of the biggest and most popular yoga clothing brands, revealed that its online sales were up by 157% during the 2020 pandemic. The Adidas sales of yoga clothing saw a  growth of 30% in India!
22. The entire industry is expected to grow by $215 billion by 2025, with a growth rate of 9.8% in the US alone.
23. Since yoga mats are an inevitable buy for yoga practice, the global yoga mat market is also predicted to grow to $23.2 billion by 2026.
24. According to PR Newswire, the global yoga industry collectively amassed $37.46 billion in 2019 alone. The market is also expected to grow at 9.6% between 2021 and 2027.
25. As per Global Wellness Institute, 2020, yoga can be considered a meditative practice and a significant part of the global mental wellness industry, worth $120.8 billion.

Benefits of Yoga: Some Statistics

26. As per the statistics, yoga has helped 87% of senior yogis with back issues. Many physiotherapists have introduced yoga as a part of their program to help reduce chronic back pain of their patients.
27. One of the research papers published by the CDC has concluded that yoga lowers the rate of burnout in offices. Thus, it contributes to increasing productivity in the workplace.
28. According to another research, it was revealed that 86% of people, who practice yoga regularly, have a strong sense of mental clarity and calm.
29. Around 85% of people also agree that yoga heavily reduces their stress levels.
30. More than 40% of yoga practitioners replace lousy food choices with healthier diets.
31. As per research, yoga helps in improvement of symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
32. According to a 2016 Yoga American study, improving flexibility, general fitness, stress relief, and overall improvement in health are the top reasons why more people are participating in yoga.
33. It is no secret that yoga has the power to ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety. As per an observation published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the more a person attends yoga sessions, the greater is the reduction of depressive symptoms in their body. Butterfly pose, Bridge pose, Half-moon pose, Child’s pose, etc., are some yoga postures to practice to keep stress, depression, and anxiety at bay.
34. 43% of people have accepted that they are pleased after the end of their yoga session.
35. 47% of people continue to pursue yoga if they are practicing as a part of a class or with a teacher.
36. About 59% of yogis in the US believe that yoga has helped them sleep better. Yoga is more of a relaxing activity than a workout routine. It calms down nerves and thus, provides a probable solution to insomnia, which about 40 million Americans suffer from.

37. Yoga dramatically helps lose around 5lbs even if you practice it once a week. A study done on 15,000 overweight people above 50 years of age revealed the same.
38. Practicing Yoga improves lung capacity as it reduces the average respiratory rate from 13.4 breaths a minute to 7.6.
39. According to yoga statistics, this ancient technique or art can reduce cholesterol levels by 23.3%. It can also reduce bad cholesterol by 26%. It automatically approves yoga’s ability to reduce heart diseases as well.
40. Even though yoga has several medical benefits, only 13% of all people are currently taking yoga classes due to some medical issue.
41. According to Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, taking a 12-week yoga course (one class per week) can reduce ulcerative colitis and thus, improve the quality of life. For those who don’t know, ulcerative colitis is the inflammation in the colon, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
42. Yoga has numerous benefits for the female body; perhaps this is why there are more women yoga practitioners. A study concluded that 52% of female participants with severe anxiety and PTSD showed no or reduced symptoms after practicing yoga for a week.
43. Yoga has proven to be an effective method for controlling blood pressure and pulse rate of women in the age group of 35 to 40 years. Women in this age category are considered to be at an increased risk of heart-related problems.
44. Prenatal statistics show that prenatal yoga is safe for pregnant women. Further, women practicing yoga show much lower level of discomforts in the 38–40th week of their gestation period. Pains from contractions are also much less sever for women practicing yoga.
45. About 54% of people in the US claim that they practice yoga to release tension and balance their mood. 52% use yoga to get mentally and physically more robust, and 42% do it to feel happier.

Popular Yoga styles in the US

46. The most popular practiced styles of Yoga in the US are Acro Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga.
47. Lately, Bikram Yoga, also known as Hot Yoga, has also become quite a name amongst the Yogis of the US! However, it doesn’t identify with the traditional yoga forms like Hatha and Ashtanga.
48. Meditation grew to be a popular yoga activity in America, increasing from 4.1 percent in 2012 to 14.2 percent in 2017. It was a complementary health practice of yoga that impressed US citizens.
49. About 24% of people in the US are interested in practicing Acro Yoga, 17% want Power Yoga, 14% are in for Anusara Yoga, and more.
50. A few other popular yoga styles in the US include Aerial Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Forrest Yoga, Luna Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Yin Yoga, Sivananda Iyengar Yoga, and Flow Yoga.
51. About 20% of people want to try Laughter Yoga, as revealed in a survey conducted by Book Yoga Retreats. People also wanted to try silent disco yoga and immersive yoga in this survey.

Note: Even though Hatha Yoga is the original form of yoga that originated in India, there are at least 100 styles to choose from in the current world.

Dangers of Yoga: Some Statistics

52. While the risk of injury in yoga is amongst the lowest, about 21% of existing cases of injuries got worsened due to yoga. People above 65 years of age, had the highest injury rate.
53. According to this study, absolute number of injuries resulting from yoga asanas (postures) are increasing every year in US. This is primarily because number of yogis practicing yoga has gone up. It was observed that in 2001, the number of injuries used to be 9.5 per 100,000 participants compared to the number that went to 17 injuries per 100,000 participants a few years later. Even so, damages resulting from yoga practice are still lesser than in sports like basketball, which is usually around 49 injuries per 100,000 players.

54. A study by the Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Germany, observed that Shoulder stand and variations of lotus pose also lead to many injuries during the practice. Headstand, however, is considered the most challenging yoga pose of all and thus, leads to the highest number of injuries and pain during yoga practice.
55. In a 2017 study done by The Faculty of Health Science at Sydney University, it was observed that out of 354 participants with musculoskeletal pain, 21% reckoned that their pain had worsened than before they practiced yoga.
56. According to the observation of BMJ Journals – Journal of ISAKOS, most injuries due to yoga practice happen in some common areas, including lower back, knees, hips, ankles, and feet.
57. About 13.3% of yogis are expected to experience pain in the elbows, hands, or shoulder. It is, thus, advised to warm up properly before practicing postures of any kind.

Note: Yoga can align your mind, body, and soul, but if done incorrectly or without the guidance of a learned instructor, it can lead to injuries, as shared in these statistics.

Yoga Teachers: Some Statistics

58. According to Indeed, the average salary of a yoga instructor in the US is $31 per hour in 2022. Cities like New York, Washington, California, and Virginia, pay at least 5% more than the average, accruing to their high living cost and high per-capita income of the residents.
59. Yoga instructors with specialization and knowledge in holistic medicine earn 93.07% more than the average base salary. Yoga instructors with time management skills, 67.05% more than the average base pay, says Indeed.
60. As of 2020, the average annual salary of a yoga instructor in the US is around $41,000. Those on top earn somewhere about $56,000, while those at the bottom earn $30,000.
61. Only 45% of yoga instructors in the United States feel that their salaries are sufficient enough for the cost of living in their respective areas.
62. In 2021, women yoga teachers earned 97% of what men earn.
63. Average age of an employed yoga instructor is around 37 years.

64. Yoga teacher training can cost somewhere around $2000 to $5000.
65. There are approximately 21,688 yoga instructors in employment in America. Majority of them are located in New York and Chicago.
66. About 85% of yoga teachers are women, and 15% are men.
67. As of 2020, more than 100,000 yoga instructors are registered with Yoga Alliance, and currently, there are more than 7,000 recorded yoga studios in the country.
68. About 28% of yoga teachers are working in the health sector, 10% in education, 10% in manufacturing, 9% in non-profits, 7%  in hospitality, 6% in government and technology, respectively, and the rest are divided among retail, finance, Fortune 500, start-ups, etc.
69. 10% of all yoga instructors belong to the LGBT community.
70. The most common degree for yoga instructors is a Bachelor’s degree, which 65% of teachers possess. About 18% have a Master’s degree, and 9% have a related degree. About 2% have a Doctorate.
71. A typical corporate yoga class will cost around $75 – $200, depending on the organization’s number of employees. As a yoga teacher, you can reach out to your ideal company and discuss the deal.
72. Private yoga sessions (one-on-one training) cost somewhere between $70 and $80. However, the price also depends on several other factors like location, participants, and the length of each session.

Yoga in Working Population: Some Statistics

73. Between 2002 to 2012, yoga practices amongst working sample studied in this survey, had gone up from 6% to 11%, CDC reports. Meditation also rose from 8% to 9.9% – that’s growth.
74. According to CDC, 1 in every seven workers is engaged in meditation or some other kind of mindfulness activity (Yoga) to promote health and productivity.
75. Odds of engaging in meditation or yoga are much higher for white-collar workers and service workers, and lowest for farm workers and blue-collar workers.
76. With increase in age, probability of practicing yoga is observed to have come down in the working population. Further, working females are more probable of practicing yoga, than working men.

Interesting Yoga Industry Statistics

77. An average yogi spends approximately $62,640 over their lifetime on yoga practice and preparation. A typical yogi spends about $90 every month on his yoga practice.
78. As per a news source, only the most devoted practitioners would spend around $100 on a unique yoga experience. Also, most people feel good after leaving the yoga studio, so they do not think their money is wasted.
79. Yoga and meditation apps blasted on smartphones with a 65% growth in search and downloads between 2016 and 2017.
80. The second most downloaded yoga and meditation app, Yoga Go: Train at Home, has amassed 5.2 million downloads in 2021.
81. Social media is one of the best ways to increase your yoga business and find like-minded people. Over 60 million yoga posts trend Instagram at any given point in time.
82. According to sources, approximately 53.1% of yoga practitioners are smokers. Many yoga practitioners also consume alcohol.
83. As per new yoga trends, 39% of people would like a massage to be included in their yoga session. 21% of people also wished to have spa treatments or dance routines, each, with yoga classes. About 17% of people are interested in getting in-person guided meditation.
84. Every region in the US has experienced a growth of 20% annually in participation.

Yoga Across The World

85. The number of people practicing Yoga in Japan has sky-rocketed to 413% in five years. The popularity of yoga is such that as per Google Trend, the top 5 countries googling about yoga include Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Nepal.
86. More than half of the yogis in the world are Indian, which is understandable because yoga originated there. Many yogis in India consider yoga a cultural export and, thus, valuable for the country.
87. More than 750 yoga facilities were opened in Beijing, China, in 2016 alone, as per a report by Statista. The highest number of yoga centers are established in Beijing, followed by Shanghai and Guangzhou.
88. According to the market research company, Roy Morgan, there are 2.18 million yogis in Australia. This is two times as much as Pilates and Yoga, respectively.

89. As per a report published by Statista, around 30% of Dutch are interested in mindfulness or meditation yoga, while 25% prefer Hatha Yoga. Only 10% of people in the Netherlands practice Bikram Yoga, which makes it the least preferred yoga style, amongst the three.
90. According to The Guardian, ‘Yoga’ was one of the most-searched words in the UK in 2016. The word is also quite popular in Japan, Korea, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand.
91. The word yoga also trended at #15 in a list of top 20 ACSM worldwide fitness trends for 2022. In 2019, it trended at an all time high of #7.
92. Yoga influencers in Brazil noticed a sharp rise of 493% daily growth dynamics in March 2020.

Impact of Covid-19 on The Yoga Industry

93. During the pandemic, an acceleration of 25% in the reservation was noticed since people joined online classes from the comfort of their homes.
94. According to a survey done by Rawlings and Pollen, 2020, it was observed that before the pandemic, 91% of teachers and 60% of students had not taught or practiced yoga online.
95. According to Research and Market, in 2020, the demand and, thus, sale of yoga equipment grew by 154% at the time of the pandemic.
96. After the pandemic, both students and teachers of yoga are open to continuing their yoga practice online. 82% of students and 75% of teachers confirmed the same in this survey.
97. Post-pandemic, about 60% of students preferred recorded classes, whereas only 36% of teachers had a preference for the same. This goes to show, even online, live sessions are preferred over pre-recorded sessions.
98. During the time of Covid-19, specifically March 2020, Instagram posts related to yoga grew by 68% as compared to news, politics, and other matters, Hyper Auditor reported.
99. According to the blog by Jenni Rawlings & Travis Pollen, PhD, convenience was one of the biggest factors in favor of online classes. However, lack of social connection played against online yoga classes.
100. It was observed that during the beginning of the pandemic, yogis watched at least 950,000 hours of YouTube content on yoga.

A Few Final Words

What started as a spiritual practice thousands of years ago has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Can you imagine how effective yoga is for your mind and body? 

Even a single session a week can perform miracles in your mind. Whether you are a student, teacher, or business owner, yoga can take you along!

Thank you for reading, and we hope these statistics and numbers would have given you a lot of insight into how the world is adopting and reinventing yoga in today’s modern life.