What the Latest Yoga Statistics Reveal About Us

The practice of yoga can seem as though it’s an individual experience, one that’s typically confined to a 24-by-72-inch mat. And, to some extent, it is. We unroll our mats and settle into our own unique rhythm of movement and stillness. But recently released yoga statistics remind us that the practice extends far beyond our own experiences.

Yoga Alliance collected survey information from more than 11,000 yoga practitioners, teachers, studio owners, and the public at large across 10 countries in a yearlong research project. The nonprofit association sets standards among yoga teachers and teacher trainings who register with it.

The survey, named “Yoga in the World,” was initiated to explore the preferences and demographics of yoga goers, teachers, and studio owners. According to a press release, the study intended “to benchmark and track not only yoga trends around the globe, but public perception and barriers that prevent individuals from practicing yoga.”

It does exactly that by providing a glimpse into the who, what, why, and where of our collective practice. “It’s a baseline, a measuring tool against which we can compare numbers next time” says Toni Carey, head of strategic communications at Yoga Alliance. “There’s work to do. And it’s not going to change overnight. But it starts with awareness.”

Following is a look at the numbers, as well as some of the insights behind the numbers, so that we can continue to understand how many of us come to the same practice with different experiences—and what we can do to make the practice of yoga more equitable.

What the Latest Yoga Statistics Reveal About Us

More of Us Are Practicing Yoga

Survey Says: In 2022, 38.4 million Americans, or 11 percent of the population, practiced yoga. That’s significantly more than the 36.7 million who had unrolled their mats in 2016, the previous year in which Yoga Alliance collected data.

Context: More people practicing yoga is unequivocally good. The question we need to continue to explore, though, is whether everyone who wants to practice yoga can access it.

Why We Practice Yoga

Survey Says: An overwhelming number of respondents in Chile, Germany, Kenya, Nigeria, United Kingdom, and the U.S. cited “stress release” as a primary reason for practicing yoga. The previous survey in 2016, which was only conducted in the U.S., named “flexibility” as the most common incentive to try yoga. It’s a pretty stark contrast, which is fitting given the events of the last several years.

Context: More and more of us are understanding the influence that slowing the breath and becoming aware of ourselves can exert on our emotional state.

The release of the study coincides with a recently published report on stress by the American Psychological Association, explains Dr. Gail Parker, a psychologist, certified yoga therapist, author, and president of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance. Titled “Stress in America 2023,” the report concludes there is “mounting evidence that our society is experiencing the psychological impacts of a collective trauma.”

The report confirms what we know, which is that “the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts, racism and racial injustice, inflation, and climate-related disasters are all weighing on the collective consciousness of Americans.”

What the stats do not disclose is how yoga helps us navigate turbulent emotions. Most of us can appreciate that yoga-stoned state we tend to experience after class. But we are not always taught that the very things we practice in class—slowing the breath, quieting the thoughts, becoming aware of where we’re holding tension—are available to us at any moment.

Rather than needing to chase that post-class experience by desperately racing back to the studio, we can learn how to draw on the breath, the focus, and the awareness outside of class.

“As a psychologist, when I was introduced to yoga, especially to restorative yoga, it was very clear to me that this practice was a way into a person’s awareness of self, not just on the physical level, but in every aspect of self,” says Dr. Parker.

Why We Don’t Practice Yoga

Survey Says: When respondents were asked what kept them from practicing yoga, the primary reason cited was, “No time.”

Context: No surprise. But what many of us still don’t realize is it’s no longer necessary to choose between an hour-long yoga class and nothing. In recent years, online yoga platforms have responded to the surge of interest in shorter practice options with an abundance of options, many in the 10- and 20-minute range. Although we might prefer a longer class, any yoga is better than no yoga.

Even pausing to practice a single pose with awareness and focus (as much as we can muster in the moment, anyways) can change our experience of just about everything. That pose can take shape while you’re standing in line at the store, doing dishes at the sink, or turning your camera off for a minute during a work meeting.

We’re Practicing Yoga With Our Friends

Survey Says: Whereas many say we want to try yoga, what actually prompts many of us to follow through on taking class is attending with a friend.

Context: Some of the hesitation of trying something new can be mitigated by not having to do it alone, says Carey.

So rather than deliver that well-intentioned lecture about how someone would benefit from yoga, consider inviting them to try a class with you (make sure it’s a beginner-friendly class). Many yoga teachers anecdotally report seeing more and more students attending all styles of class in groups of two or more, especially in the evenings.

Perhaps yoga can help regulate our emotional state not only through our physical practice but the social connection we experience before, during, and after our practice.

We’re Not As Diverse As We Could Be…

Survey Says: Those who practice yoga in the U.S., U.K., and Germany are most likely to identify as female and white.

Context: There’s still a tremendous amount of work to be done in terms of inclusivity and diversity in the yoga space.

The numbers have been slowly heading somewhat in a better direction, at least in the U.S. Yoga practitioners who identify with underrepresented populations—the categories in the survey include Black, Hispanic, and Asian—are within several points of the population percentages reported in the US Census Bureau for 2022.

Those who identify as transgender comprise .88 percent of survey respondents, compared to recent Census Bureau polling that placed the national average at one percent of the U.S. population. (According to Yoga Alliance, “While there’s no consensus in the research community on the most inclusive way to inquire about Gender Identity in demographic collection, commonly used terms like Male, Female, Transgender, and Some other way improve upon historical data collection terminology.”)

However, that data doesn’t always translate to our class experience. Some respondents in the survey’s focus groups expressed that they were “keenly aware that they were the only person of color and/or male in the class.”

Part of the difficulty in working toward inclusivity and diversity is it can be overwhelming and seemingly impossible to correct the situation at large. “I think it’s really important for studio owners to try to be representative of the communities where we live,” says yoga teacher Pranidhi Varshney, who founded Yoga Shala West in West Los Angeles. “Let’s focus on serving the community that we’re in.”

…And We Need Even More Diversity Among Yoga Teachers & Studio Owners

Survey Says: Those percentages of underrepresented populations in the yoga space change drastically when we look at yoga teachers and studio owners in the U.S. The percentage who identify as Black, Hispanic, or Asian collapses to almost single digits. Zero percent of the teacher and studio owner respondents identify as transgender.

Context: “The survey revealed distinct demographic inequities within the yoga community,” explains Carey. “It lends context to something that a lot of people in the yoga community have been talking about, yelling about, screaming about for a really long time. You can see it in the numbers.”

The effect is felt not just by would-be yoga teachers who do not have access to training but students who cannot find yoga teachers who resemble themselves. Walking into a class where no one looks like us can be intimidating, says yoga teacher and former social worker Stephanie Acosta.

Some respondents in the focus groups noted that they had “intentionally searched for a yoga teacher with the same race/ethnicity,” according to Yoga Alliance. That feeling of isolation can also relate to gender identity, body shape, age, and countless other scenarios.

Although just because we don’t see diverse teachers in studios doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t teaching yoga, explains Jana Long, the executive director of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance. Long has practiced yoga for 50 years and led classes for close to 20 years. Her experience is that Black yoga teachers often teach in places that are accessible to the people in communities where they live, such as churches, recreation and senior centers, schools, and homes.

The conversations that have been initiated in recent years around creating circumstances that allow for more relatable role models in classes and yoga teacher trainings need to continue. And they are nuanced. “How do these communities want to engage with the practice? How does it fit into their cultural context and their histories? A lot of that can only be uncovered through dialogue,” says Carey.

Most of Us Have Practiced Yoga at Home

Survey Says: When asked, “In which of these venues have you ever practiced yoga,” nearly 75 percent of respondents in the U.S. conveyed that they have practiced at home. The second most commonly cited location were studios.

Context: Practicing at home brings certain advantages. There’s no commute, possibly no need to change attire, and, for some of us, no need for childcare.

The decision of where to practice is made by some out of convenience, but others are forced into that option out of financial constraints. Although in-person, donation-based classes exist, what isn’t always apparent to well-intended teachers and studios is that putting one donation-based class on the schedule isn’t sufficient. Sometimes there are other restrictions beyond the cost of class.

Noemi Nunez, a bilingual yoga teacher in Denver, Colorado, has studied the situation in her community to understand potential reasons for lack of participation among underserved populations. As a result, she has began writing grants, in partnership with local organizations, which secure the financial support needed. Nunez can provide not only free classes but mats, props, transportation, and childcare.

Varshney, who instituted a sliding scale rate at her shala, reminds us that there are also unexpected places where we can practice and teach yoga that aren’t studios.

Most Yoga Teachers Rely on Yoga as Their Primary Source of Income

Survey Says: In the U.S., nearly 75 percent of the teachers surveyed indicated that leading yoga classes is their primary source of income.

Context: Most yoga teachers are contracted at a flat rate for the hour spent instructing a class.
Compensation for an hour-long yoga class varies dramatically depending on teaching experience and other considerations. Although the survey did not indicate income, compensation for a studio or gym class typically falls between $20 and $50.

That rate does not include the time spent commuting, answering students’ questions, preparing the sequence for class, and creating a playlist. There is also no compensation for transportation, music streaming platforms, or continued training.

Many full-time teachers consider a full schedule to be approximately 15 classes a week. Newer yoga teachers tend to enthusiastically take on more classes a week than is sustainable, and eventually lessen their schedule—and their take-home pay—to reflect reality. Do the math and the challenge inherent in teaching yoga to the exclusion of any other work becomes apparent.

Acosta launched a GoFundMe campaign to finance her tuition. She later founded Yogis Unidos, a global community of Latinx yoga teachers who support one another and raises funds for yoga teacher training scholarships. “I want to pay it forward,” she says.

Many full-time yoga teachers supplement their studio income with one-on-one yoga sessions, teaching at higher-paying corporations and resorts, leading workshops, retreats, or yoga teacher trainings. Those teachers will tell you it’s a hustle culture. And it’s exhausting.

“It’s so, so, so rare to rely on yoga as a livelihood without supplementing it in any way,” says Varshney. She only considers teaching to be a sustainable career if you are getting sponsorships and “becoming sort of celebrity status.”

The irony of this stress is not lost on teachers and studio owners. Yet there are also implications for students. What do we lose when knowledgeable teachers with diverse backgrounds and experiences can no longer afford to share their time and talents? What happens when those responsible for sharing yoga are unable to afford the time or tuition to further their studies?

Where Do We Go From Here?

It’s interesting to see trends and similarities among practitioners around the world. It’s also sobering to be confronted with how much work remains before the practice of yoga becomes truly accessible and inclusive, something that many have been talking about and working toward for years.

Numbers can change but not from good intentions alone. Although there have been areas of progress, it’s past time for more of us to commit to creating change in our small corner of the world even as we continue to engage in a broader dialogue. This takes many shapes, including seeking out those whose work in the yoga space informs and inspires us, and then holding ourselves accountable for taking that information and bringing it into our yoga spaces. Conversation to be continued.