Wellness has moved beyond personal hobbies. It is now a core business strategy and a global movement. Globally, the wellness economy reached a record $6.8 trillion in 2024 by the Global Wellness Institute’s comprehensive accounting, though the narrower US ecommerce-facing wellness market Shopify and McKinsey typically discuss sits closer to $2 trillion, growing 4 to 5 percent annually. With 84 percent of US consumers rating wellness as a top or important priority, the industry is evolving to meet diverse needs, from biomarker-driven longevity programs to corporate initiatives aimed at employee performance.
Generational Spending and the New Wellness Consumer
Younger consumers are redefining wellness spending. McKinsey’s Future of Wellness 2025 survey found that nearly 30 percent of Gen Z and millennial respondents in the United States say they prioritize wellness significantly more than they did a year earlier, compared with 23 percent of older generations (McKinsey & Company, 2025). This enthusiasm translates directly into spending: Gen Z and millennials represent about 36 percent of the US adult population yet drive more than 41 percent of annual wellness spend. Consumers aged 58 and older, by contrast, make up 35 percent of the population but account for only 28 percent of wellness spending.
