Meditation has become more mainstream in America, boosted by soaring subscriptions to apps such as Calm and Headspace. Like so many personal service markets affected by the pandemic, meditation centers and yoga studios have had to adjust and incorporate new technology that makes their service more accessible.
An estimated 36 million U.S. adults now meditate — increasing more than threefold from 4.1% in 2012 to 14.2% now. The typical meditator is a middle-aged female, highly educated, non-Hispanic White, residing in the Western U.S. — very similar to the profile of a yoga enthusiast.
Top 6 things to know about this market:
- Meditation market size: The U.S. meditation market was estimated to be valued at $1.86 billion as of 2021 and forecast to grow to $2.07 billion in the current year. Marketdata forecasts 7.0% average yearly growth, to $2.5 billion by 2025.
- Market structure: There are an estimated 990 meditation centers in the U.S., mostly non-profit organizations. They generated $192 million in revenues in 2019, but revenues fell 21% in 2020-2021, due to the pandemic. They are just now returning to normal operations and incorporating more virtual offerings (Zoom meetings).
- The yoga connection: Many of the nation’s 6,500 yoga studios also offer meditation classes and are estimated to generate $350 million in revenues from them.
- Meditation apps: There are at least 2,500 mediation smartphone apps now on the market. Meditation apps, websites, and online courses generate an estimated $440 million per year. The leading meditation apps are Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace.
- Meditation consumer demographics: It’s estimated that the average meditator spends $286-480 per year on meditation classes, books, apps, online courses, and supplies, while the typical yoga user spends $500-1,000. An estimated 12% of the 36 million meditators use a class offered by a meditation center, yoga studio, or a practitioner — 4.4 million people.
- Competition: A total of 349 of the U.S. meditation centers are operated by three non-profit organizations: Kadampa Centers, Transcendental Meditation™, and Shambhala Centers. Very few for-profit meditation centers exist, and the market is ripe for investment.
Learn More About the Meditation Industry
For more in-depth information, see Marketdata’s groundbreaking new report The U.S. Meditation Market that’s believed to be the most detailed and comprehensive analysis to date of the U.S. meditation market. The report covers market demand and structure, key companies and gurus, demographics, meditation center operations, for-profit vs. non-profit centers, effects of the pandemic, market sizing, and forecasts.
About the Author: John LaRosa is the President of Marketdata LLC and is the author of 100+ industry and market studies. His research appears in top media outlets including ABC, CNN, Fox, Forbes, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and a variety of trade journals.
