Yoga Demographics in America

How many Americans practice yoga? Yoga Alliance estimated 38.4 million U.S. yoga practitioners in 2022, versus 36.7 million in 2016. Separately, the CDC reported that 16.9% of U.S. adults practiced yoga during the prior 12 months, using an age-adjusted analysis of its 2022 National Health Interview Survey. These studies use different methods and should not be combined into an invented 2026 total.

Editorial update, October 2026: The historical statistics below have reference years and source links. The prior version mixed demographic composition with population participation rates and included several figures without adequate support. Unsupported percentages and outdated embedded social posts have been withdrawn from the updated article.

U.S. yoga statistics at a glance

How many Americans practiced yoga in 2022?

Yoga Alliance's Yoga in the World survey estimated 38.4 million practitioners, 4.6% more than its 2016 estimate. The CDC's June 2024 Data Brief 501 analyzed a different 2022 survey and reported 16.9% annual participation among adults. The surveys differ in their populations and methods.

Gender distribution of yoga practitioners

Yoga Alliance found 74% of U.S. practitioners were women, compared with 85% of teachers and 87% of studio owners. Those are shares of practitioner or professional groups. In the separate CDC survey, 23.3% of adult women and 10.3% of adult men reported yoga practice in the past 12 months. These are participation rates within each sex, not the gender composition of yoga classes.

Yoga demographics by age

CDC adult participation by age group was 21.3% at ages 18–44, 14.1% at ages 45–64, and 8.0% at age 65 or older. These represent participation within an age group. Yoga Alliance reported an average practitioner age of 39 in its U.S. survey. None of these figures establishes that a certain yoga style is best for a particular age.

Race, ethnicity and access to yoga

In Yoga Alliance's 2022 survey, 71% of practitioners, 88% of teachers, and 85% of studio owners identified as white. The study highlighted accessibility and representation barriers in the U.S. yoga community.

In the CDC's separate population survey, adult participation rates were 22.5% among non-Hispanic Asian adults, 19.3% among non-Hispanic white adults, 12.6% among non-Hispanic Black adults and 10.5% among Hispanic adults. These rates do not indicate each group's share of all yoga practitioners.

Education and income

Yoga Alliance reported that 47% of practitioners had a college degree, compared with 82% of teachers and 83% of studio owners in its U.S. overview. CDC data showed higher yoga participation with greater family income: 10.4% below 200% of the federal poverty level, 14.0% at 200% to below 400%, and 23.0% at 400% or more. These are associations, not proof of causation.

Why do people practice yoga?

In the CDC survey, among adults who practiced yoga, 80.0% reported using it for overall health, 57.4% used meditation as part of yoga and 28.8% used yoga to manage pain. These are self-reported uses, not clinical success rates. Yoga Alliance reported that stress relief was an important starting motivation. See our motivation study overview.

Economic impact

Yoga Alliance estimated more than $21 billion in annual U.S. spending related to yoga in its 2022 study. This is not a measured 2026 market size or a forecast of any one studio's revenue.

How to interpret and cite the numbers

1. Keep the study year with each figure.
2. Distinguish population participation rates from the demographic composition of practitioners.
3. Do not combine estimates from different survey designs as though they share a denominator.
4. Use stated limitations when discussing health outcomes, income or representation.

Sources

• Yoga Alliance, Yoga in the World (2022 survey).
• CDC, Yoga Among Adults Age 18 and Older: United States, 2022 (published June 2024).
• NCCIH, Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety.

Read the hot yoga research overview and the history of yoga. About author Jack Utermoehl.