Pilates Statistics 2025: The Complete Overview of Trends, Growth and Impact

Pilates has become incredibly popular in recent years. What was once a small group of people is now a massive industry involving millions of people worldwide.

In this article you will read why Pilates has become so successful, what the figures tell us about the future, and why so many people continue with it.

This growth is partly driven by investments in high-quality Pilates equipment such as reformers , megaformers , towers , cadillacs , chairs , barrels , wall units and additional accessories .

A growing industry

The Pilates market is growing rapidly. In 2020, the global market was worth $64 million . Three years later, it's already $11.8 billion —nearly 200 times larger. By 2030, experts expect the market to be worth $340 billion .

This growth is also reflected in the studios:

• 77% of all Pilates studios worldwide are currently growing

• 67% have completely sold out classes

• 40% of studio owners are looking for more instructors

But the fastest growth isn't coming from America. Asia is becoming the new growth market, with $89 million expected in Southeast Asia alone.

More popular than ever

Pilates is exploding in popularity, especially online. On ClassPass—the world's largest platform for fitness classes— Pilates became the world's most popular workout in 2023 , even beating yoga and HIIT.

The numbers are impressive:

• 92% more Pilates bookings in 2023 than in 2022

• 84% further growth in 2024

What makes Pilates unique: 78% of people who start continue. That's much higher than with other sports.

The best job in fitness?

If you're looking at why Pilates is growing so much, you have to look at the instructors. They're the driving force behind the industry. And they're remarkably satisfied:

• 89% love their job as a Pilates instructor

• 92% would recommend the work to others

• 79% look forward to going to work every day

For comparison, in most other jobs, satisfaction is around 50-60%.

Why are they so satisfied?

The reasons are clear:

• 94% feel they are genuinely helping others

• 85% become fitter through their work

• 84% have a flexible work schedule

• 70% combine it well with parenthood

Plus, they earn well. Instructors earn an average of $51,000-$54,000 a year for just 15-20 hours of work per week .

Scientifically proven benefits

Pilates isn't just popular because it's trendy. Its health benefits are scientifically proven.

The strongest evidence is for back pain . In a study of 39 people with back pain, all participants saw improvement after Pilates training. That's 100% effectiveness.

It also works for weight loss. Young women who practiced intensive Pilates for four weeks lost 3.1% of their BMI. The control group lost only 0.8% —making Pilates four times more effective.

And it helps mentally. Research shows that Pilates improves mood and self-confidence more than other forms of exercise like Tai Chi.

Who does Pilates?

Pilates attracts a specific group:

• 90% of instructors are women

• 71% have a university education

• 60% prefer group lessons over private lessons

There is a diversity problem. 71% of instructors worldwide are white, while only 7% are African-American. This demonstrates that Pilates is still primarily a "white sport."

There are also geographical differences. While the global market is growing at 10% per year , growth in the US is actually declining at 1% per year . The US market may be reaching saturation.

What does this mean for the future?

All the numbers point in the same direction: Pilates is only getting bigger. The combination of proven health benefits, high customer satisfaction, and satisfied instructors ensures sustainable growth.

For those considering starting out: chances are good you'll stick with it. For potential instructors: it's one of the best jobs in fitness. And for investors: this is a market that's far from done growing.

🎯 Conclusion

Pilates is growing rapidly. You can see that in all the numbers here. Studios are doing well, instructors are satisfied, and more and more people are participating.

If you're unsure whether Pilates is for you, just give it a try. Chances are you'll stick with it, just like 78% of people who start.

Sources

BusinessWire – “New Research Shows Pilates is Booming” 
GlobeNewswire – Global Pilates and Yoga Studios Market, 2021–2028
EIN Presswire – Emergen Research: Pilates & Yoga Studios Market to 2030
The Independent – ​​“Reformer pilates… has a dark side” 
Evening Standard (UK) – “Pilates searches +124%…”
Flex Therapist CEUs – Pilates in PT 
Counter Healthy Living (RIVM/CBS) – Sports and Exercise Figures 2023
Polestar Pilates (PDF) – Effect Pilates on body composition 
Caldwell et al. (2009) – Pilates vs Taiji in college students 
GlobeNewswire – ResearchDive 2023 update
ClassPass – 2023 Look Back Report
AthletechNews – Pilates Most-Booked on ClassPass 2024 
CBS – Sports by adults 2019 
Sports & Exercise in Figures – Weekly Sports Participation 2024
NL Active – Home (industry figures)
Physiotherapy training.nl – Pilates instructor training 
The Specialist (Belga) – Sports participation Flanders 2021
HBVL (Belgium) – “Top 10 sports: yoga 10%”