Meditation is not used for one specific solitary purpose.
Statistics show that while at one time, it was used as a method of reaching spiritual enlightenment.
Now, it’s used as a mainstream and popular activity to reduce stress, anxiety, phobias, depression, and other forms of emotional or mental distress.
Yes. Meditation is still used in religious realms and for spirituality. It’s also used to promote relaxation, calm, and mindfulness.
People are using meditation to help them focus better and be more productive at school, work, and in life.
You may find this article offers some health benefits proven through statistics and science.
We have researched and gathered some meditation statistics to inform and enlighten our readers to the art of meditation.
Let’s get into this article and see what meditation is all about.
Key Meditation Statistics 2025
- Approximately 200 to 500 million people across the globe partake in meditation.
- 66% of Buddists in the United States meditate at least once per week.
- Meditation may improve sleeplessness and insomnia by 50%.
- Meditation has helped reduce school suspensions by 45%.
- In 2017, nearly 10 times more children meditated than in 2012.
- More than 14% of Americans claim that they have meditated at least one time in their lives.
- Meditation may reduce the chances of hospitalization for coronary heart disease by 87%.
- Meditation for employees can improve productivity by 120%.
- In 2018, 52% of employers offered mindfulness training to employees.
- Meditation can reduce anxiety 60% of the time.
Meditation Statistics 2025: The Rise in Popularity of Meditation
Meditation is an old practice with many benefits that extend into today’s world. It’s become more popular today for a variety of reasons.
Let’s discuss the popularity of meditation and mindfulness.
1. More than 14% of Americans Claim that They Have Meditated at Least One Time in Their Lives.
Studies have shown that more than 14% of US residents have partaken in meditation at least once in their lives.
Further studies from the Pew Research center suggest that this percentage may be significantly higher, at 40% of American adults engaging in meditation once a week at least.
2. Approximately 200 to 500 Million People Across the Globe Partake in Meditation.
As one of the most profound proof that meditation has grown popular, this meditation statistic shows how many people all over the world are using meditation.
When you take into consideration the health benefits that can come from meditation, this is not a surprising figure.
3. Data from 2017 Reveals that About 14.2% of American Adults Claimed to Have Meditated Over the Year.
A report from the CDC, “Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Older”, offers some pertinent statistics based on the science.
The findings reveal that this percentage of people in America who are meditating has increased since 2012, when a mere 4.1% of U.S. adults used meditation over the year.
There has also been a significant rise in yoga and meditation smartphone apps in recent years.
There are also more schools and employers offering meditation and yoga training, classes, and retreats for students and employees.
The Benefits of Practicing Meditation
Statistics not only show how much its popularity has risen, but also how many benefits have come to light from the practice of meditation.
Let’s use this section to address the benefits.
4. 30 Minutes of Meditation Can Enhance the Hippocampus in The Brain.
The actual report from a Harvard study shows that 30 minutes or more of mindfulness meditation can increase the gray matter of the brain’s hippocampus.
This is a significantly important benefit since the hippocampus is the section of the brain that plays a major role in learning and memory.
5. Meditation Can Reduce Anxiety 60% of The Time.
Statistics from Project Meditation reveals that nearly two-thirds of people who practiced meditation for six to nine months reduced their anxiety by 60%.
It’s important to be patient with yourself and persistent with your meditation.
6. Most People Use Meditation to Enhance Their Overall Wellness.
The percentage of people who use meditation for their general wellness is at 76%, according to statistics.
Another reason given for practicing meditation is for a boost in energy at 60%, enhancing focus and memory at 50%, and for alleviating stress, depression, and anxiety.
7. Meditation May Improve Sleeplessness and Insomnia by 50%.
Meditation research has discovered that meditation can lessen wake times of those experiencing insomnia by 50%.
This research means that consistent mindfulness meditation can help people with insomnia sleep better and get a restful night’s sleep.
8. Practicing Meditation May Lower One’s Blood Pressure 80% of The Time.
As more studies arise and outcomes are analyzed, scientists have learned that the practice of meditation offers benefits for lowering blood pressure in those prone to hypertension.
According to the statistics, 80% of the time, people with hypertension were able to lower their blood pressure with lessened medication.
Also, another 16% of them were able to quit taking high blood pressure medications.
9. Meditation May Reduce the Chances of Hospitalization for Coronary Heart Disease by 87%.
The practice of meditation can lessen the risk of hospitalization for heart disease by 87%. It’s been discovered that people who meditate are less likely to experience heart problems.
The very nature of meditation is to alleviate stress and to promote relaxation, which is good for the body as much as the mind.
Stress is known as a major cause of several medical conditions, including heart issues.
10. Women with PMS Can Reduce Symptoms by 57% Through Meditation.
One of the most common ailments suffered by women is PMS.
Based on statistics from research, they can reduce these painful and sometimes debilitating symptoms (physical and psychological) by 57% via the practice of consistent meditation.
11. You Can Increase Your Attention Span by Practicing Meditation for Four Days.
This ScienceDirect study showed that you can increase your attention span simply by practicing meditation for only four days.
Additionally, the study revealed that by practicing mindfulness meditation for a few days, you may also improve your working memory, executive functions, and visuospatial processing.
12. Practicing Mindfulness Meditation Has Proven to Reduce PTSD Symptoms 73% of The Time.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common, yet challenging after-effect of military service, but it’s not limited to military service members.
PTSD is something anyone who has suffered a trauma can experience.
That said, it appears that consistent mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD 73% of the time.
13. Meditation May Have a Positive Impact for Those Who Suffer with Back Pain.
With so many people suffering with acute or chronic back pain in the world, knowing that meditation can help is a relief in and of itself.
It’s been shown to enhance their abilities to perform day-to-day activities by 30%.
14. Insomnia Sufferers Can Improve Their Symptoms by 75% Through Meditation.
Not only can meditation have a positive effect on wake time reduction for insomniacs, it can also relieve the symptoms 75% of the time.
The study shows that most people with insomnia who practiced meditation daily found it easier to fall asleep faster.
75% of them only needed 20 minutes to drift off to sleep after regular meditation.
Another 91% of those with insomnia were able to eliminate or reduce the use of medications for sleep.
Meditation Demographics
Who are all these millions of people across the world who are meditating? Let’s use this section to look at the variety of people who use meditation.
15. Women Meditate More than Men.
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 2017 revealed that 16.3% of all women meditate while 11.8% of men meditate.
Therefore, women are more likely to use meditation than men by around 4%.
We don’t know why women practice meditation more, but it shows in the benefits of the practice.
The thought is that the reason could be due to the nature of the difference in gender and how they process emotional and mental distress.
For instance, women tend to internalize and reflect, while men externalize their feelings.
The very nature of how women process distress helps them to respond better to mindful meditation.
Women are also more likely to partake in Yoga, chiropractic care, as well as meditation. Over 90% of the women who meditate claim to find it very beneficial.
There is also a difference in the genders related to the frequency of meditation. Women are 55% more likely to meditate at least once per week, while men rank at 45%.
Women are 52% more likely to meditate once or twice per month compared to men at 48%.
In contrast, men are 53% more likely to meditate several times per year compared to women at 49%.
51% of men seldom or never participate in meditation, while 49% women seldom or never meditate.
Finally, 53% of men simply don’t know if they would meditate compared to 47% of women who don’t know.
16. 66% of Buddists in The United States Meditate at Least Once per Week.
This meditation statistic shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s been studied, so we will address it. This data is related to religion and how religious groups meditate.
Here is a breakdown of some religious groups that practice meditation.
- 77% of Jehovah’s Witnesses
- 49% of Evangelical Protestants
- 25% of Non-Religious People
17. In 2017, It Was Revealed that 15.2% of White Adults Meditate.
The National Center for Health Statistics reported that white adults are more likely to meditate over other racial demographics.
People of color are 13.5% more likely to meditate and Hispanic adults rank at 10.9% of those more likely to meditate.
What these figures show is that meditation is quite diverse and no single race meditates much more than another. The popularity extends to all racial groups.
18. The Age Group Most Likely to Partake in Meditation Is Between 45 and 64.
Another 2017 study by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that 15.% of people between 45 and 64 are the most likely to meditate.
In comparison, 13.4% of adults in the 18 to 44 and the 65 and over age groups choose to meditate.
Children and Meditation
Statistics are also uncovering facts about how more children are partaking in meditation. We will check out this data here.
19. More Children Between 12 and 17 Years Old Are Participating in Meditation Compared to Their Younger Counterparts.
In 2018, the statistics showed that 6.5% of older children and teens participate in meditation over the 4.7% of children between 4 and 11 years old.
The differences in races of children showed no significant differences.
20. In 2017, Nearly 10 Times More Children Meditated than In 2012.
Data from 2017 shows us that 5.4% of children aged 4 to 17 had participated in meditation in the past 12 months as compared to the 2012 data.
There was no significant difference between practicing meditation between boys and girls.
Meditation Stats for Work and School
Have the numbers risen among the employees and students who meditate? This section is where we will talk about that.
21. In 2012, 91 American Schools Made Meditation Part of Their Curriculum.
More schools have incorporated meditation into their curriculum because of its health and wellness benefits.
It has already helped to reduce absences and in some cases aggressive behavior.
22. In The United States, 7% of Children Now Practice Meditation.
The growth of children’s participation in meditation is mostly due to the rise in American schools that are including mindfulness and meditation practices in their curriculum.
In 2012, the percentage was only 1.6%.
23. In 2018, 52% of Employers Offered Mindfulness Training to Employees.
A National Business Group on Health (NBGH) survey reported that 52% of employers offered mindfulness training to employees in 2018.
This is a rise over 2017 when it was 36%.
24. Meditation for Employees Can Improve Productivity by 120%.
According to Project Meditation data, employers who implemented mindful meditation for their employees reveal that it decreased instances of absenteeism by 85% and increased overall productivity by 120%
25. Meditation Has Helped Reduce School Suspensions by 45%.
One of the schools that implemented meditation in their curriculum reported that there was a significant decrease in school suspensions for poor behavior.
Statistics show that this further proves that meditation is beneficial in schools among children and that it helps to improve their performance and behavior.
The Meditation Market
We will address the meditation industry by looking at the statistics and how this practice has evolved and grown.
26. In 2015, the Mindfulness and Meditation Industry Generated Nearly $1 Billion.
This figure doesn’t include any revenues generated from meditation apps or wearable apps people use to practice meditation.
27. The Estimated Market Value of The Meditation Industry in 2022 Is Expected to Reach Over $2 Billion.
The mindfulness and meditation market is expected to reach more than $2 billion by the end of 2022.
According to statistics, this market rose from $959 million to more than $1.08 billion between 2015 and 2016.
That’s a large difference in only one year. It’s believed that the annual growth of the meditation industry will continue to grow at 11.4% on average.
28. The Global Mindful Meditation Market Is Predicted to Achieve $9 Billion by 2027.
As the meditation market continues to rise in popularity, we will see significantly higher revenues coming from this industry. The market value is expected to reach $9 billion by 2027.
29. The Headspace Meditation Mobile App Has Been Downloaded 65 Million Times.
Headspace is a mobile meditation app that has been downloaded 65 million times. It uses short, guided meditations, which include free and subscription-based paid sessions.
30. In 2019, $195 Million Was Generated from Sales of The Top 10 Most Popular Mobile Apps for Meditation.
Headspace isn’t the only meditation app that has received millions of downloads that resulted in generating $195 million in 2019.
Calm, Ten Percent Happier, and others have gained notoriety.
This growth in 2019 is up by 52% over statistics from 2018. It’s believed that the industry has grown due to the pandemic and its after effects.
Conclusion
Now you can see how significant meditation and mindfulness is to the world.
It’s not just something that religious people partake in, nor is it just for reaching spiritual enlightenment, even though it’s still used that way or some.
You have learned about the people who use meditation, their ages, races, and revenue that shows how important it is all over the globe.
When employers and schools are using it and finding vast benefits for their employees and students, you know that’s a huge deal.
We hope we have given you some things to think about regarding meditation and mindfulness.
We have attempted to provide the most accurate and recently available data possible.
Do you meditate? If so, why do you practice meditation? Have you considered meditation to help manage stress, anxiety, fear, and depression?
