The GWI report provides authoritative market data across 11 wellness sectors and offers insights for tourism, hospitality, real estate and investment professionals tracking the evolution of wellness-driven consumer behaviour. All 11 sectors now exceed their 2019 value, indicating that the industry has fully moved beyond pandemic recovery and is entering a new phase of accelerated expansion.
Wellness as a global economic powerhouse
At $6.8 trillion, wellness surpasses several major global industries, including tourism ($5 trillion), IT ($5.3 trillion), and sports ($2.7 trillion). It is nearly four times the pharmaceutical industry and represents 60% of global health and medical spending. Wellness accounted for 6.1% of global GDP in 2024, and its share is expected to grow to 7.1% by 2029.
The GWI attributes this momentum to powerful long-term shifts: ageing populations, chronic diseases, rising mental health concerns, and a consumer pivot toward prevention, longevity and lifestyle optimisation.
Explosive growth in wellness real estate and mental wellness
The fastest-growing segment over the past five years is wellness real estate, expanding at 19.5% annually as demand rises for homes and communities designed to support physical and mental wellbeing. Mental wellness follows closely at 12.4% annual growth, driven by rising stress levels and a generational shift that prioritises emotional and psychological health.
The U.S. mental wellness market leads globally at $125 billion, far ahead of China in second place at $16 billion. High-growth sub-segments include cannabis products (26%), meditation and mindfulness (18.9%), and sleep-related solutions (12.6%).
Tourism-related wellness sectors rebound strongly
Wellness tourism, spas, and thermal/mineral springs saw strong surges between 2023 and 2024 as international travel returned with force:
- Wellness tourism: +13.8%
- Spas: +14.6%
- Thermal/mineral springs: +11.1%
This positions wellness travel as one of the most dynamic global tourism categories, with increasing investor interest in nature-based and restorative experiences.
Workplace wellness is the only sector showing contraction (-1.5%), reflecting the rise of remote work and shifting employer priorities.
Regional performance and per capita spending
North America leads in per capita wellness spending at $6,029, followed by Europe at $1,876. Other global regions trail significantly, indicating substantial room for market expansion.
Over the past five years, the highest annual regional growth rates were:
- North America: 7.9%
- Middle East & North Africa: 7.2%
- Europe: 6.3%
Future outlook: the next wave of wellness growth
GWI forecasts that several wellness categories will experience exceptional expansion through 2029:
- Wellness real estate: +15.2% annually
- Traditional & complementary medicine: +10.8%
- Mental wellness: +10.1%
- Thermal/mineral springs: +10%
- Wellness tourism: +9.1%
- Personalized medicine: +9.3%
By 2029, six sectors – including healthy eating, physical activity, personal care & beauty, wellness tourism, wellness real estate, and traditional & complementary medicine—are expected to exceed $1 trillion each.
Katherine Johnston, GWI senior research fellow, highlighted the shifting consumer landscape: “Now that the wellness economy has fully recovered from the pandemic, we can see how unstoppable it is as a consumer trend. Prevention, mental health, social connection, and the impacts of our living environments have become dramatically more important all over the world.”
The 140-page report also includes new segmentation models, regional rankings, and the top 20 national markets for each wellness category, offering a comprehensive reference for businesses and policy makers planning investment and strategy in the rapidly expanding global wellness economy.
For travel and hospitality professionals, the findings point to a sustained surge in wellness-driven consumer demand, growing investor activity, and intensified competition for experiences that integrate health, nature, culture and personalised wellbeing into the travel journey.
Tags: Katherine Johnston, Global Wellness Institute (GWI), Wellness
