The global spa industry generated an estimated $136.8 billion in revenue across 191,348 establishments in 2023. This overview covers market scale, regional activity, pandemic recovery, U.S. operating measures and the latest forecast, while keeping estimates distinct from observed results and projections.
Key Spa Industry Statistics
The most useful headline figures span global scale, regional concentration and U.S. operating activity:
- In 2023, the worldwide spa industry generated an estimated $136.8 billion in revenue.
- In 2023, an estimated 191,348 spas operated worldwide.
- In 2023, global spa revenue had reached 118% of its 2019 pre-pandemic level.
- In 2020, global spa revenue fell an estimated 38.2% worldwide.
- From 2023 to 2028, GWI forecasts global spa revenue to reach $184.3 billion.
- In 2023, Europe generated an estimated $49.7 billion in spa revenue.
- In 2023, Asia-Pacific generated an estimated $36.0 billion in spa revenue.
- In 2023, North America generated an estimated $31.1 billion in spa revenue.
- In 2023, Europe had an estimated 65,385 spa establishments.
- In 2023, Asia-Pacific had an estimated 56,705 spa establishments.
- In 2023, the United States, China, Germany, France and Japan accounted for 45% of global spa revenue.
- In 2023, the top 20 countries represented 73% of the global spa market.
- By the end of 2022, about 86 countries had spa revenue at or above pre-pandemic levels.
- At the end of 2022, about 131 countries had not fully recovered their spa revenue.
- In 2023, U.S. spa revenue rose to an estimated $21.3 billion.
- In 2023, U.S. spa visits increased to an estimated 182 million.
- In 2023, the United States had an estimated 21,840 spa locations.
- In 2023, U.S. revenue per spa visit increased to an estimated $117.20.
- From 2022 year-end to January 2024, U.S. spa employment increased to an estimated 370,100 employees.
Contents
- Global spa industry statistics: market size and pandemic recovery
- Spa industry revenue trends by region
- Spa establishments and regional operating footprint
- Spa market concentration and recovery patterns
- U.S. spa industry statistics: revenue, visits and employment
- Spa industry forecasts, definitions and measurement boundaries
Global Spa Industry Statistics: Market Size and Pandemic Recovery
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) defines spas as establishments promoting wellness through therapeutic and other professional services aimed at renewing body, mind and spirit. Its estimates aggregate multiple spa categories, so they are not the same as home-sauna or consumer-equipment sales.
GWI estimated $136.8 billion in worldwide spa revenue in 2023 and 191,348 spa establishments across six world regions. The figures are revenue estimates rather than audited industry accounts, and historical establishment counts reflect improved data availability and online listings.
Source: Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024.
The market’s recovery can be seen in the revised nominal-dollar series:
| Worldwide measure | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spa revenue | $116.3 billion | $71.9 billion | $83.9 billion | $105.8 billion | $136.8 billion |
| Spa establishments | 175,415 | 170,663 | 175,887 | 184,499 | 191,348 |
GWI estimates that global spa revenue fell 38.2% in 2020, while more than 4,700 spa businesses were lost worldwide. Revenue then rose from $71.9 billion in 2020 to $83.9 billion in 2021, $105.8 billion in 2022 and $136.8 billion in 2023.
By 2023, revenue had reached 118% of the 2019 level. That comparison is nominal and can be affected by exchange rates and inflation, while the establishment series is also affected by revised coverage.
Source: Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024.
Spa Industry Revenue Trends by Region
Europe was the largest regional market in GWI’s 2023 estimate, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America. The figures below are nominal U.S.-dollar estimates for the six named regions.
| Region | 2023 spa revenue | 2019–2023 average annual growth |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | $49.7 billion | 3.3% |
| Asia-Pacific | $36.0 billion | 2.6% |
| North America | $31.1 billion | 4.6% |
| Latin America-Caribbean | $10.7 billion | 7.8% |
| Middle East-North Africa | $6.7 billion | 11.7% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $2.7 billion | 6.5% |
The growth column is a GWI-reported CAGR for 2019–2023, not a single-year change. The Middle East-North Africa estimate had the highest listed average annual rate over that period, while Europe remained the largest revenue market in 2023.
Source: Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024.
Spa Establishments and Regional Operating Footprint
The number of establishments shows where the industry operates, but it should not be read as a directly audited census. GWI notes that online-listing growth and improved data availability can affect counts across the historical series.
| Region | 2023 estimated establishments | Historical comparison supplied |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 65,385 | 59,695 in 2019 |
| Asia-Pacific | 56,705 | 53,532 in 2019 |
| North America | 32,588 | 2023 estimate |
| Latin America-Caribbean | 19,307 | 2023 estimate |
| Middle East-North Africa | 9,687 | 2023 estimate |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 7,676 | 2023 estimate |
Worldwide, the estimated establishment count increased from 175,415 in 2019 to 191,348 in 2023, after falling to 170,663 in 2020. It then reached 175,887 in 2021 and 184,499 in 2022.
Europe’s count rose from 59,695 in 2019 to 65,385 in 2023, while Asia-Pacific’s rose from 53,532 to 56,705 over the same period. These are estimates from a revised historical series, not evidence that every change represents a newly opened or permanently operating site.
Source: Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024.
Spa Market Concentration and Recovery Patterns
The global spa market is concentrated among a relatively small group of countries. GWI estimates that the United States, China, Germany, France and Japan together accounted for 45% of global spa revenue in 2023, while the top 20 countries represented 73%.
Those shares use nominal U.S.-dollar country estimates. They describe revenue concentration, not the share of establishments, visits or employment.
Recovery was uneven by country at the end of 2022. About 86 countries had spa revenue at or above their pre-pandemic levels, while about 131 countries had not fully recovered and were mostly reported at 80%–99% of pre-pandemic revenue.
The long-run comparison also shows a different pre-pandemic pace. GWI reports that worldwide spa revenue grew at a 7.7% average annual rate from 2007 to 2019, compared with its revised 4.1% average annual rate from 2019 to 2023.
Source: Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024 and First-ever 15-Year Time Series Data for the Global Spa Industry—With Forecast through 2027.
U.S. Spa Industry Statistics: Revenue, Visits and Employment
The International Spa Association’s Big 5 2024 study, produced with PwC, provides a separate U.S. industry-study view of revenue, visits, locations, revenue per visit and employment. The measures below use the study’s stated periods and are not interchangeable with GWI’s worldwide estimates.
| U.S. measure | 2022 | 2023 or comparison point |
|---|---|---|
| Spa revenue | $20.1 billion | $21.3 billion in 2023 |
| Spa visits | 181 million | 182 million in 2023 |
| Spa locations | 21,790 | 21,840 in 2023 |
| Revenue per spa visit | $111.50 | $117.20 in 2023 |
| Employment | 360,700 at year-end | 370,100 in January 2024 |
U.S. spa revenue increased 5.7% in 2023, while spa visits increased 0.6%. The published revenue-per-visit figure rose from $111.50 in 2022 to $117.20 in 2023, and the study reports rounded published values.
Employment increased from 360,700 at 2022 year-end to 370,100 at January 2024, a reported 2.6% increase across the comparison period. Because the two employment values use different reference dates, this should not be treated as a same-date annual series.
Source: Big 5 2024: ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study.
Spa Industry Forecasts, Definitions and Measurement Boundaries
GWI’s 2023 global spa estimate of $136.8 billion compares with $116.3 billion in 2019 in its revised series. The reported 2019–2023 CAGR is 4.1%, while GWI projects a 6.1% annual growth rate from 2023 to 2028 and global spa revenue of $184.3 billion in 2028.
The 2028 figure is a forecast, not an observed result. It depends on GWI’s model and can be affected by market conditions, tourism and currencies.
The historical baseline is also important when interpreting growth. GWI’s first global spa economy study counted 71,800 establishments and $47 billion in revenue in 2007, and its comparison says the global number of spas expanded 2.3 times from 2007 to 2019.
GWI’s 2024 monitor covers 2019–2023 and 218 countries, territories and markets, using original country-level spa estimates plus primary and secondary sources. The 2023 measurement covered 191,348 establishments across six world regions, while revised historical values reflect improved data availability and changing online-listing coverage.
Source: Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024 and First-ever 15-Year Time Series Data for the Global Spa Industry—With Forecast through 2027.