Yoga apparel sits at the intersection of movement, wellness, and a large consumer audience. U.S. participation reached 36.7 million practitioners in 2016, while practitioners reported spending more than $16 billion on yoga clothing, equipment, classes, and accessories in the prior year (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). More recent federal data shows that 16.9% of U.S. adults practiced yoga in 2022 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501).
Table of contents
- Participation and spending
- Who practices yoga
- Why people practice
- Regional and studio statistics
- lululemon benchmarks
- Nike and Beyond Yoga
Participation and spending
The 2016 Yoga in America Study counted 36.7 million U.S. practitioners, up from 20.4 million in 2012 (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). These are historical survey measurements, not a current estimate. The study also found that 28% of Americans had participated in a yoga class at some point in their lives, while one in three had tried yoga independently at least once (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study).
Yoga-related spending exceeded $16 billion in the year before the 2016 study, covering clothing, equipment, classes, and accessories. The comparable 2012 figure was $10 billion (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). Because the total combines several categories, it is not an apparel-only market-size estimate.
In 2016, 34% of Americans said they were somewhat or very likely to practice yoga in the next 12 months, a pool described as more than 80 million Americans (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). Awareness rose from 75% in 2012 to 90% in 2016 (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). More than three-quarters of practitioners also engaged in running, group sports, weight lifting, or cycling (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study).
Who practices yoga
The CDC reported that 16.9% of U.S. adults practiced yoga in 2022. The rate was 10.3% among men and 23.3% among women (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501). By age, 21.3% of adults ages 18–44 practiced yoga, compared with 14.1% of adults ages 45–64 and 8.0% of adults age 65 and older (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501).
| U.S. adult group | Practiced yoga in 2022 |
|---|---|
| All adults | 16.9% |
| Men | 10.3% |
| Women | 23.3% |
| Ages 18–44 | 21.3% |
| Ages 45–64 | 14.1% |
| Age 65 and older | 8.0% |
Participation was 22.5% among Asian non-Hispanic adults, 12.6% among Black non-Hispanic adults, 19.3% among White non-Hispanic adults, 15.7% among other and multiple-races non-Hispanic adults, and 10.5% among Hispanic adults in 2022 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501).
Income differences were also reported. Yoga participation was 10.4% among adults below 200% of the federal poverty level, 14.0% among adults at 200% to less than 400%, and 23.0% among adults at 400% or more (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501). These are participation rates, not apparel-spending estimates.
The historical Yoga Alliance study reported about 10 million male practitioners in 2016 and nearly 14 million practitioners over age 50 (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). Those figures should not be combined directly with the CDC’s 2022 percentages.
Why people practice
Among yoga practitioners in 2022, 80.0% used yoga to restore overall health. The corresponding figures were 79.6% for male practitioners, 80.2% for female practitioners, and 83.3% for practitioners ages 45–64 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501).
Meditation was part of yoga for 57.4% of practitioners, including 52.9% of male practitioners and 59.3% of female practitioners (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501). Among lower-income practitioners below 200% of the federal poverty level, 65.3% practiced meditation as part of yoga (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501).
Overall, 28.8% used yoga to treat or manage pain in 2022, compared with 31.8% of male practitioners (CDC NCHS Data Brief 501). These figures describe reported uses, not medical outcomes or clothing preferences.
The 2016 study recorded self-reported differences between practitioners and non-practitioners. Eighty percent of practitioners said they had a good sense of balance, compared with 64% of non-practitioners. Seventy-five percent said they were physically strong, compared with 57% of non-practitioners. For mental clarity, the figures were 86% and 77% (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). Seventy-nine percent of practitioners said they gave back to the community, compared with 59% of non-practitioners (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study).
Regional and studio statistics
The 2016 study reported 8.0 million practitioners in the Mid Atlantic division, 7.7 million in South Atlantic, and 6.8 million in Pacific (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). It listed 4.4 million in East North, 3.6 million in West South, 2.1 million in Mountain, 1.8 million in West North, 1.4 million in East South, and 1.0 million in New England (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study).
| Census division | Practitioners in 2016 |
|---|---|
| Mid Atlantic | 8.0 million |
| South Atlantic | 7.7 million |
| Pacific | 6.8 million |
| East North | 4.4 million |
| West South | 3.6 million |
| Mountain | 2.1 million |
| West North | 1.8 million |
| East South | 1.4 million |
| New England | 1.0 million |
Nearly 40% of studio owners said they served 100 to 500 students per week, and 62% said their space was dedicated entirely to yoga (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study). Overhead costs represented about half of studio owners’ income (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study).
Ninety-one percent of studio owners said a Yoga Alliance credential was important for teachers. Ninety-nine percent said teachers should continue learning through more training, and 99% said teachers should be knowledgeable about yoga poses (Yoga Alliance 2016 Yoga in America Study).
lululemon benchmarks
lululemon surpassed $10 billion in annual revenue in 2024 and ended the year with $2.0 billion in cash and cash equivalents and no debt (lululemon 2024 Annual Report). Its women’s business grew 9%, men’s business grew 14%, and other categories grew 10% in 2024 (lululemon 2024 Annual Report).
The company launched 36 product innovations in spring 2024 and operated more than 750 stores and touchpoints (lululemon 2024 Annual Report). Company-operated store net revenue increased 14%, while e-commerce net revenue increased 6% (lululemon 2024 Annual Report).
Its Essential Membership program grew nearly 65% year over year to 28 million members in North America. More than 10,000 people across 40 cities joined the fourth annual Summer Sweat Games in China Mainland, and the company had more than 1,700 ambassadors globally (lululemon 2024 Annual Report).
Total revenue rose 41% in China Mainland, 27% in Rest of World, and 4% in the Americas in 2024 (lululemon 2024 Annual Report). These are company-reported growth rates, not estimates of total yoga-apparel demand.
In 2023, women’s range represented 64% of lululemon net revenue and men’s range represented 23%. Sales per square foot were $1,609, and company-operated stores numbered 711 at January 28, 2024, compared with 655 at January 29, 2023 (lululemon 2023 Annual Report).
Nike and Beyond Yoga
Nike’s FY2024 results provide a broader activewear benchmark. NIKE Brand wholesale equivalent revenues were $8.586 billion for women’s products and $20.868 billion for men’s products. NIKE Brand total revenue was $49.322 billion, including $13.775 billion in apparel revenue (Nike FY2024 results).
NIKE, Inc. total revenues were $51.362 billion and NIKE Direct revenues were $21.5 billion in FY2024 (Nike FY2024 results). These totals cover global sportswear, not yoga-only apparel, but they show the larger competitive setting in which yoga clothing is sold.
Levi Strauss & Co. reported that Beyond Yoga accounted for 2% of net revenues in both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 (Levi Strauss 2023 Annual Report). Levi Strauss reported $6.2 billion in total net revenue for 2023 (Levi Strauss 2024 Proxy / 2023 report). It also said direct-to-consumer represented 43% of total business and international represented 56% in 2023 (Levi Strauss 2023 Annual Report).
These company figures are not additive: they use different reporting structures, categories, geographies, and fiscal periods. They do show three distinct scales of yoga-related apparel activity: a focused activewear company, yoga-adjacent products inside global sportswear, and a yoga brand reported within a diversified apparel portfolio.