GWI: UK wellness economy soars to new heights – ranking fifth largest globally following $224bn valuation

The UK wellness industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, now ranked as the fifth-largest globally, following a new report released today by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

The report, The Global Wellness Economy: United Kingdom, reveals the UK’s wellness economy reached nearly US$224 billion in 2022, placing it behind only the US, China, Germany and Japan.

Impressive growth despite pandemic challenges

The UK wellness industry saw its valuation rise to US$170.5 billion in 2019, but like many markets, it contracted during the pandemic, shrinking to US$157 billion in 2020.

However, the sector has made a remarkable recovery, growing to US$223.83 billion in 2022. This rebound positioned the UK as the global leader in post-pandemic (2019) wellness market growth, reaching 131 per cent of its pre-pandemic value by 2020.

Among the top 25 wellness markets, the UK was one of the fastest-growing since 2020, with a 19.4 per cent annual growth rate, second only to Mexico at 25.2 per cent.

Fastest growing sectorsSeveral UK wellness sectors showed remarkable growth from 2020 to 2022:

• Wellness Tourism saw the sharpest increase, growing by 79 per cent annually – more than double the global average of 36 per cent – despite a 68 per cent contraction in 2020.

• Public health, Prevention and Personalised Medicine surged by 45.3 per cent annually, driven largely by government investments, outpacing the global average of 6.6 per cent.

However, Workplace Wellness lagged behind, with a 4.1 per cent decline during this period.

“The UK has one of the world’s largest, most diverse and resilient wellness economies. The British public and its visitors are very sophisticated wellness consumers,” said Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung, GWI senior research fellows.

“Not only are British companies innovators in spa, hospitality, fitness, beauty, wellness real estate and other wellness sectors, but the government is a global leader in pioneering wellness policies in physical activity, mental wellness, prevention and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.”

UK wellness market by sector (2022)The report highlights the size of key sectors in the UK wellness economy:

• Physical Activity: US$50.4 billion

• Public Health, Prevention and Personalised Medicine: US$44.87 billion• Personal Care and Beauty: US$37.35 billion

• Healthy Eating, Nutrition and Weight Loss: US$36.35 billion • Wellness Real Estate: US$23.37 billion

• Wellness Tourism: US$15.62 billion • Traditional and Complementary Medicine: US$7.6 billion

• Mental Wellness: US$3.81 billion • Spas: US$3.2 billion

• Workplace Wellness: US$2.72 billion • Thermal and Mineral Springs: US$50 million

UK spa sector rebounds

The UK spa sector has shown resilience, nearing its pre-pandemic revenue high of US$3.318 billion.

Despite a steep decline to US$2.115 billion in 2020, the industry recovered to US$3.197 billion in 2022 – making it the seventh largest in the world.

The number of spas in the UK has also increased, reaching 3,797, surpassing the pre-pandemic total of 3,783.

The GWI collected data for this section from UK Hotel/Resort Spas, Day/Club/Salon Spas, Destination Spas & Health Resorts, Medical Spas and Thermal/Mineral Springs Spas.

UK leads global growthReferencing data from GWI’s 2024 Country Rankings report, researchers declared that, between 2020 and 2022, the UK wellness market grew faster than any other top 10 market, outpacing the US (14 per cent), China (8.9 per cent) and Germany (16.8 per cent).

Its 19.4 per cent annual growth rate positions the UK as a global growth leader.

Economic impact

Wellness is becoming an increasingly vital part of the UK economy, expanding from 6 per cent of GDP in 2019 to 7.3 per cent in 2020 – well above the global average of 5.6 per cent.

By 2022, UK consumers were spending 31 per cent more on wellness, averaging US$3,342 annually.

Compared to other major economies, the UK's wellness sector constitutes a larger share of its economy than that of the US, France and China, reflecting a growing national commitment to holistic health and wellbeing.

"Wellness is rapidly ascending in the UK, reflecting a growing national focus on holistic health and wellbeing. This trend highlights a widespread commitment to integrating physical, mental and emotional wellness into everyday life, driving innovative approaches across multiple sectors,” noted Ashley Kohler, director of wellness for Destination Kohler Hospitality & Real Estate.

GWI partnered with Kohler Co – a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products – to unveil the data.

More about the reportThe The Global Wellness Economy: United Kingdom is the latest instalment in the GWI’s Geography of Wellness platform, where governments and companies support a deep dive into a nation’s wellness market.

The GWI has also created dedicated reports breaking down the wellness economies of the US, Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

To download the GWI’s whole UK report, click here.