According to the Global Wellness Summit 2024 Trends Report by the Global Wellness Institute, which combines research and insights from industry experts including scientists, CEOs and academics, the wellness market is growing. And there’s no sign of a slowdown in the immediate future.
The global wellness economy was valued at $5.6 trillion in 2022, an increase of 12% from 2020. According to the report, approximately one in 20 dollars is spent on wellness, and the economy is expected to global well-being will rise to $8.5 trillion by 2027.
The United States tops the global list of countries that spend on wellness, amassing an annual market of $1.8 trillion, up 14% from 2020. On average, people in the United States spend $5,321 per day. year for wellness, coming in 5th place behind Seychelles, Switzerland and Iceland. and Aruba.
Within a broader scope, global spending on well-being includes personal care and beauty, physical activity, healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss, public health and prevention, and wellness tourism. New categories such as mental wellness, real estate wellness, and workplace wellness are gaining momentum, valued at $181 billion, $398 billion, and $51 billion, respectively.
Softcare versus hardcare
The report sheds light on the expansion of both “softcare” and “hardcare”. “Softcare” includes the cheaper, simpler wellness trends spurred by sexy girls walking, bed rotting, and the general rejection of hustle culture in favor of improving social well-being through community and connection. “Hardcare” includes the rapid growth of wearable technology, hyper-optimization through countless biomarker measurements, preventative medicine treatments, and weight loss medications.
“The speed with which medicine is invading the wellness market is nothing short of astonishing,” the report reads. “Generation, income and gender gaps are widening in culture and creating a space of well-being increasingly defined by dramatically different, if not contradictory, markets and mindsets.”
Wellness trends 2024
Trends predicted for 2024 include climate-adaptive wellness, such as designing for a cooling planet and taking “coolcations.” The growing interest in longevity will continue, both among those who are willing to try expensive experimental treatments aimed at living longer, and among those who recognize that they can play a role in aging through simple things like diet, exercise , sleep and stress reduction.
Another trend is the rise of retreats and programs for men, reversing the stigma and pressure on men to hide their emotions, in what researchers have called “From Manning up to Opening Up.”
More and more, potentially cheaper, weight-loss drugs will hit the market, and attention is finally growing on the importance of postpartum wellness. People go to museums to strengthen their minds and feel happier in a trend of sensory and artistic wellness experiences, and others book retreats focused on long pilgrimages.
Fueled by a post-pandemic increase in mental health problems, a desire to play a role in health outcomes and aging, and a greater societal focus on well-being as part of health and happiness, the trends highlight how well-being is moving the markets.
The full list of 2024 wellness trends in the report:
- Wellbeing adapted to the climate
- The power of pilgrimage
- From recruitment to opening
- The rise of postpartum wellness
- Longevity has longevity
- A wellness check for weight loss drugs
- Sport finds its roots in hospitality
- The home as the most technological healthcare hub
- A new multisensory and immersive art for well-being
- Under the radar: Future trends including Blue Zones 2.0 and Wellness Real Estate
The researchers also highlight the gap between affordable “soft” wellness and wellness for the wealthy, as more and more memberships and clinics offer wellness at high costs. Wellness sectors expected to grow at the fastest rates by 2027 include wellness tourism, mental wellness, and wellness real estate.