Yoga Alliance recently released results of a  global survey researching the practice and profession of yoga. The 10-country "Yoga in the World" study reveals that “improving their overall health” was the top motivator for respondents to practice yoga. Among respondents in the United States, 49% of practitioners and 37% of the general public state that a medical professional has recommended yoga to prevent and/or improve health conditions.

A total of  38.4 million people in the US (11%) practiced yoga in 2022, up from 4.6% in 2016, spending more than $21 billion on the practice (+5% since 2016). However, the survey revealed distinct demographic inequities within the yoga community in the US.

"Asian, Black, and Hispanic communities in the United States are underrepresented as yoga practitioners, teachers, and studio owners, said Shannon Roche, President and CEO of Yoga Alliance. "Studies have shown that these communities are less likely to have access to mental health resources, yoga studios, or similar wellness resources, which makes treatment more difficult. Taken together, this information offers yet another example of the systemic underinvestment in proven holistic wellness practices, like yoga, in historically marginalized communities, when these practices can often trace their roots back to these very same communities."

 As of 2022, in the US:

• 71% of yoga practitioners are white and 74% are women.
• 88% of yoga teachers are white and 85% are women.
• 85% of yoga studio owners are white and 87% are women.
• Yoga practitioners (47%), teachers (82%), studio owners (83%) are much more likely to have a college degree than the general population (30%).

Qualitative focus groups among Asian, Black and Hispanic individuals in the US, conducted as part of the research, revealed that the "lifestyle" around yoga made the practice unappealing to these groups versus the practice itself. Non-practitioners referenced a stereotype of the average yoga practitioner being a "fit, white woman."

To access an executive summary, study methodology and key findings by country, click here