Yoga Statistics: Surprising Data on the Growth of Yoga [Infographic]

Ashtanga. Power. Hot. Aerial. Laughter. And yes, even goat. Yoga is more popular — and unique — than ever before. 

Any online search for yoga classes today reveals yoga’s skyrocketing popularity with many Americans — and that interest is driving a whole new generation of yogis who are willing to spend a lot of money to find their om.

As a yoga instructor or event creator, it’s important to understand the motivations of your yogis. But data on their habits and trends can be scarce. That’s why Eventbrite teamed up with OnePoll to survey 2,000 Americans on their yoga practices, monthly yoga budgets, and more.

Here are some surprising statistics about the growth of yoga you need to know for 2019.

Get all the yoga statistics and insights from the survey in The Rise of Yoga Events: New Data on How to Grow Your Yoga Business.

The yoga market at a glance

Yoga is big business in the U.S. The average yogi spends $62,640 over their lifetime on classes, workshops, and accessories — or nearly $90 per month. They practice regularly, with a majority (44%) going 2-3 times a week, preferably in the morning (34%) or evening (18%).

The financial cost (and opportunity for you, as an yoga teacher or event creator), doesn’t stop there. The average yogi is willing to spend $40 on a single, special, one-time yoga experience. And 6% of people are willing to spend more than $100 on a memorable yoga experience.

So what motivates people to practice? Reasons range from expected to surprising, including:

• Release tension (54%)
• Get stronger physically and mentally (52%)
• Feel happier (43%)
• Get more “me” time (27%)
• Feel less lonely (21%)
• Unplug from tech (20%)

Statistics on the growth of yoga

The future looks rosy for the yoga community. Not only are more people practicing in the U.S., they also want to practice more in the year ahead. When asked about their plans for the new year, 64% of yogis said they wanted to do more yoga in 2019.

So what do these yogis want from their practice? Happiness, variety, and a space to support them on their wellness journey, according to our research. And they’re interested in exploring experimental yoga experiences, especially ones that prioritize creating happy vibes.

Three trends to be aware of as you plan and market your yoga events this year:

• 47% of people are more likely to maintain a wellness routine when held accountable by a class or teacher
• 38% of yogis plan on engaging in more wellness activities off the mat in 2019
• In addition to in-person classes, people also turn to yoga guided by video or app (24%) and meditation guided by video or app (22%) to de-stress
• A whopping 86% report experiencing a positive improvement in mood after doing yoga and 43% say they feel very happy after yoga

The most common yoga demographics

Of the 2,000 people who took our survey, there were a variety of yoga experience levels:

• 12% identified as advanced yoga practitioners
• 22% intermediate
• 27% beginner
• 37% brand new

When it comes to finding new classes or workshops to attend, these yoga demographics all have a similar approach. Word of mouth reigns supreme, with 45% of yogis saying they discover yoga offerings through friends or coworkers. Facebook was the next top source (44%), followed by online ads (35%).

As for where they practice, the majority of respondents (67%) do yoga at home, followed by:

• Gym (43%)
• Yoga studio (38%)
• Outdoors (32%)
• Yoga or wellness festival (20%)
• Special event a unique venue (20%)

Unique yoga trends on the rise

While yoga is thousands of years old, the results from our survey show that new trends are on the rise. People wish they were taking more classes in experimental settings beyond the typical yoga studio than they actually are. Currently, 66% of people do at least one class per year in an experimental setting, but 83% wish they did.

What are these experimental forms of yoga? 20% of yogis want to give laughter yoga a try, while silent disco yoga, aerial yoga, beer yoga, and naked yoga made it on the list as well.

Another yoga trend gaining popularity: people want other wellness elements incorporated in their yoga classes and events, such as in-person guided meditation (17%), spa treatments (21%), massages (39%), dance class (21%), and spin class (12%). Depending on your interests, you can marry the two together for an irresistible event.

Dive deeper into these 2019 yoga statistics

These are just a few of the findings and yoga statistics revealed by our survey of 2,000 Americans. Discover how to put all this data to good use in The Rise of Yoga Events: New Data on How to Grow Your Yoga Business.