The global wellness economy hit US$6.8 trillion (€5.86 trillion, £5.17 trillion) in 2024, according to fresh data by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). Diagram 1 gives a breakdown of this figure, which is a record peak for the fourth year in a row since COVID-19.
The 100+ page GWI report, titled Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2025, was released at the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) in November (see p98).
The research, which provides data on 11 wellness sectors, predicts the global wellness economy will reach nearly US$9.8 trillion (€8.45 trillion, £7.45 trillion) in 2029. Trends fuelling this growth include an ageing population, increasing rates of chronic disease, mental unwellness and the market’s pivot to focus on prevention and longevity.
Wellness is now a larger market than other global industries, including sports, tourism and the pharmaceutical sector
Longevity insights
While the report doesn’t quantify longevity as a standalone sector, GWI researchers say longevity-related services increasingly sit at the intersection of wellness, health/medical care, and biotech.
Presenting findings live on stage, Katherine Johnston, GWI senior researcher, said: “Even though it may feel like longevity is the hottest buzzword, it’s not a new concept. We’ve already had a longevity revolution in history – lifespan has doubled due to public health initiatives and healthier food being made available.”
She added: “Any future gains in longevity will require advances in medical and wellness markets. The potential impacts are huge and there’s plenty of money to be made too.”
Room for expansion
The Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2025 shows the market increasing 7.9 per cent from 2023-2024, doubling in size since 2013. It now represents 6.12 per cent of global GDP and with the new predicted forecast of US$9.8 trillion in 2029, it’s likely to outpace the projected global GDP growth of 4.5 per cent annually.
Wellness is now a larger market than other global industries – sports, valued at US$2.7 trillion (€2.33 trillion, £2.05 trillion); tourism, at US$5 trillion (€4.3 trillion, £3.8 trillion); and it is almost four times larger than the US$1.8 trillion (€1.55 trillion, £1.37 trillion) pharmaceutical industry.
“As of 2024, we can say the entire wellness economy has recovered from the pandemic. We can now say we are truly in the post-pandemic era,” Johnston told delegates.
North America leads growth at 7.9 per cent, followed by the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) at 7.2 per cent and Europe at 6.3 per cent. Spending remains highest in North America and Europe, significantly outpacing Latin America–Caribbean, Asia, and MENA.
The pace of the global wellness economy’s growth is expected to outpace projected GDP of 4.5 per cent
Fastest-growing sectors
Wellness real estate has risen 19.5 per cent annually over the last five years, reflecting the pandemic-driven awareness of how environments affect physical and mental health.
Mental wellness has gone up 12.4 per cent annually from 2019-2024, with the US market worth US$125 billion (€107.74 billion, £95.0 billion) and China US$16 billion (€13.80 billion, £12.2 billion). High-growth areas include cannabis products, meditation, mindfulness and sleep.
Wellness tourism and spas are rebounding strongly, with year-on-year growth of 13.8 per cent and 14.6 per cent from 2023-2024, respectively, while thermal/mineral springs rose 11.1 per cent.
Workplace wellness remains slow-growing (0.7 per cent annually over five years) mostly due to the shift toward remote and gig work.
New valuations
Fresh valuations for the 11 sectors that make up the global wellness economy were provided:
- Personal Care & Beauty – US$1.35 trillion (€1.16 trillion, £1.03 trillion)
- Healthy Eating, Nutrition & Weight Loss – US$1.15 trillion (€0.99 trillion, £0.87 trillion)
- Physical Activity – US$1.14 trillion (€0.98 trillion, £0.87 trillion)
- Wellness Tourism – US$894 billion (€771.1 billion, £678.7 billion)
- Public Health, Prevention & Personalised Medicine – US$676 billion (€575.9 billion, £504.6 billion)
- Traditional & Complementary Medicine – US$606 billion (€522.1 billion, £460.6 billion)
- Wellness Real Estate – US$548 billion (€472.2 billion, £416.8 billion)
- Mental Wellness – US$268 billion (€231.2 billion, £203.4 billion)
- Spas – US$157 billion – (€135.3 billion, £119.1 billion)
- Thermal/Mineral Springs – US$72 billion (€62.1 billion, £54.5 billion)
- Workplace Wellness – US$53 billion (€45.7 billion, £40.3 billion)
By 2029, six sectors are expected to exceed US$1 trillion (€0.86 trillion, £0.76 trillion). These include traditional & complementary medicine, wellness tourism, wellness real estate, physical activity, personal care & beauty and healthy eating, nutrition & weight loss.
Growth forecast
GWI’s five-year growth predictions (2024-2029) highlight sectors that could present key opportunities for investors and operators:
- Wellness Real Estate – 15.2 per cent
- Traditional & Complementary Medicine – 10.8 per cent
- Mental Wellness – 10.1 per cent
- Wellness Tourism – 9.1 per cent
- Thermal/Mineral Springs – 10.0 per cent
Projections for all sectors confirm that wellness is now a mainstream, high-growth market with clear opportunities for expansion. Overall, these figures underline a strong market trajectory, highlighting where capital, development and operational focus can yield the highest returns.
