Yoga has moved from a niche practice to a mainstream one, and growing numbers of practitioners now travel for it. These statistics cover how many people practise, where interest in yoga retreats is rising fastest and what retreat travellers are looking for.
- 115.8% of U.S. adults practised yoga in 2022, up from 5.0% in 2002.
- 2Albania is the fastest-rising yoga retreat destination on BookRetreats.com, with interest up 203% year over year.
- 378% of U.S. travellers surveyed are interested in a yoga retreat in the next 12 months.
How many people practise yoga
According to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the share of U.S. adults who practise yoga rose from 5.0% in 2002 to 15.8% in 2022. In 2017, 8.4% of U.S. children aged 4 to 17 practised yoga.
of U.S. adults practised yoga in 2022, up from 5.0% in 2002.
of U.S. children aged 4 to 17 practised yoga in 2017.
Fastest-rising yoga retreat destinations
BookRetreats.com ranks destinations by the year-over-year change in unique page views for yoga retreats on its platform. Albania leads, followed by Mexico and Japan.
| Rank | Destination | Year-over-year growth in interest |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albania | +203% |
| 2 | Mexico | +183% |
| 3 | Japan | +173% |
| 4 | England | +124% |
| 5 | Spain | +100% |
| 6 | France | +81% |
| 7 | Vietnam | +73% |
| 8 | Australia | +73% |
| 9 | Thailand | +62% |
| 10 | Philippines | +58% |
These figures measure growth in interest (page views on one booking platform), not visitor numbers or bookings.
What yoga retreat travellers want
In the BookRetreats.com State of Retreats survey of 1,040 U.S. travellers, 78% were interested in a yoga retreat in the next 12 months, and 56% cited mental health and wellbeing as a motivation. Among yoga retreat seekers, 42% wanted to combine yoga with other activities, 40% wanted mixed-style sessions and 33% were drawn to restorative yoga.
Sources
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