While the U.S., China and Germany remain the world’s largest wellness economies, post-pandemic growth hotspots are creating major opportunities for fitness and wellness brands
When the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) released the five largest wellness markets in 2024, it came as no surprise that the United States ($2.1 trillion), China ($950 billion), Germany ($281 billion), Japan ($262 billion) and the United Kingdom ($261 billion) made the cut, as the top five hasn’t changed since 2019.
While those top five largest wellness markets represent nearly 58% of the global wellness economy (the U.S. alone accounts for 32%), the industry is seeing some surprising growth in other areas, as new robust markets emerge in a post-pandemic wellness boom.
In the GWI’s latest Country Rankings report, the top five-year growth leaders were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico and Poland, followed by the U.K., the Netherlands, Canada, the U.S. and Australia, indicating major market opportunities in high-potential areas.
UAE, Saudi Arabia & India Lead Growth
The GWI reports that Saudi Arabia and India have the strongest growth trends among the top 25 markets, with both countries having post-pandemic recovery rates of over 170%, and both countries’ wellness economies seeing growth by more than 11% annually over the last five years.
Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have risen significantly in the GWI’s country rankings from 2019 to 2024, with Saudi Arabia climbing four places (from 29 in 2019 to 25 in 2024). The UAE, meanwhile, jumped six places from 32 in 2019 to 26 in 2024.
In the UAE, the wellness economy has grown by 14.3% annually from 2019 to 2024 (more than double the global average). Its growth was bolstered by a notable increase in wellness tourism and personal care and beauty spending.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has grown by 12.2% annually, fueled by a large increase in public health spending, as well as personal care and beauty spending.
Saudi Arabia was also among three countries that didn’t experience a pandemic-related decline in 2020 from the top 25 markets (in addition to the Netherlands and Taiwan).
Major fitness and wellness brands are already noticing the growth potential of the UAE and Saudi Arabia as well, with Whoop recently partnering with one of Dubai’s largest developers to bring its wearable devices into residential communities, and gyms like Anytime Fitness opening its first location in Saudi Arabia this spring, with over 60 more clubs planned across the country.
Meanwhile, India’s strong annual growth of 11.3% was driven by surges in non-Western, traditional and complementary medicine alongside wellness tourism spending, followed by personal care and beauty spending. India also climbed the country rankings, reaching spot number 7 in 2024, rising three places from 2019.
Inadia’s fitness market is projected to more than double by 2030, as Crunch opened its first location in the country and revealed plans to expand to at least 75 clubs there in the coming years.
Mexico, Poland Emerge as Strong Wellness Contenders
While these two countries may not be top of mind when it comes to wellness, both exceeded their pre-pandemic levels of growth by over 155%, according to the GWI report.
The wellness economies in Mexico and Poland are both growing by over 9% annually from 2019 to 2024, with Mexico’s growth primarily driven by the healthy eating and fitness sectors, with contributions from wellness tourism and personal care and beauty spending.
In Mexico, brands including Club Pilates are eying major expansion.
On Poland’s part, growth has been fueled by increased spending on personal care and beauty, healthy eating, fitness and wellness tourism. Poland also climbed three places on the rankings, from 24 in 2019 to 21 in 2024.
Several smaller nations are also witnessing a wellness boom to keep an eye on, including Romania, Costa Rica and Kazakhstan, the report found.
