YOGA AROUND THE WORLD: THE COUNTRIES WHERE PEOPLE ROLL OUT THEIR YOGA MAT THE MOST "AND WHY"
From Kerala (a southern Indian state famous for Ayurveda and yoga retreats) to Los Angeles, yoga is taking over the world. But where is it practiced the most today?
Discover the 2025 ranking of the most yogi nations, with key figures and emerging trends as a bonus. Discover where yoga mat imposes an art of living , well beyond a simple practice.
Written by TINA - August 2025
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About 10 minutes
WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DISCOVER
The 2025 ranking of the countries where yoga is most practiced, with figures to back it up
Key data on yoga mat usage worldwide , by volume and per capita
The 10 nations where the yoga mat has become an everyday object , at all levels
New geographic areas in full swing for yoga , between Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia
The best statistical sources to follow the evolution of yoga and the market yoga mat
Why yoga mat is becoming a global symbol of well-being today
"Let's take a look"!
THE 2025 RANKING OF COUNTRIES WHERE YOGA IS MOST PRACTICED
From Indian temples to New York rooftops, yoga has conquered the planet . By 2025, it's estimated that more than 300 million people will practice yoga regularly , often on a yoga mat that has become almost ritualistic . But which countries are most deeply rooted in this age-old discipline?
According to the latest cross-referenced data (Yoga Alliance, Statista, The Good Body), India remains the leading practicing country , both in volume and cultural anchoring. The United States follows , with more than 38 million yogis , mostly equipped with yoga mat for studio or home practice. China, Germany, Brazil, and France complete the leading group, each with several million followers.
In Europe, the yoga mat is one of the best-selling pieces of equipment in the wellness sector , and in some regions such as Canada or the Scandinavian countries, yoga reaches up to 10% of the population .
This ranking not only reveals a sporting trend: it illustrates a global transformation in the relationship to the body, to breath, and to personal space — symbolized by yoga mat .
KEY DATA ON YOGA MAT USAGE WORLDWIDE, BY VOLUME AND PER CAPITA
While yoga appeals to millions of practitioners , it is often the yoga mat that embodies this practice in everyday life . Compact, portable, and grounded, it is both an object of ritual and a technical aid. But which countries buy and use them the most?
In absolute terms, the United States dominates : it is estimated that there are more than 40 million yoga mat in circulation, compared to around 30 million in India , where yoga is often practiced on traditional surfaces, without standardized mats. In Europe , Germany, France and the United Kingdom together total more than 10 million yoga mat sold over the last five years, with annual growth of +5 to +8% depending on the market (source: Statista, 2024 , [Yoga Journal]).
But when these figures are compared to the population, the podium changes: Canada, Sweden and Australia appear to be the countries most “equipped” with yoga mat per inhabitant , with usage rates estimated at between 1 mat for 6 to 8 people . In France, we are approaching 1 yoga mat for 15 inhabitants , a figure that is growing rapidly, driven by the democratization of yoga at home.
This worldwide diffusion of the yoga mat reflects a deep-seated trend: yoga is no longer practiced only in the gym—it's now coming to the living room, to the water's edge, to the office. And the mat is becoming a personal landmark, a nomadic space of well-being.
THE 10 NATIONS WHERE THE YOGA MAT BECAME AN EVERYDAY OBJECT
In some countries, the yoga mat has become an everyday item , just like a pair of sneakers or an office floor mat. It's no longer just an accessory for studios or enthusiasts: it's a lifelong companion, sometimes even a trigger for wellness rituals.
According to cross-referenced data from Yoga Alliance, Statista, and Exercise.com, here are the 10 countries where yoga mat use is most common in everyday life :
🇺🇸: 38 million yoga practitioners, and an almost systematic presence of yoga mat at home, in the studio, or even in the office.
🇨🇦: high penetration rate, with more than 20% of adults having a yoga mat at home.
🇸🇪: strong integration into well-being routines, particularly among women (1 in 5 has a yoga mat ).
🇦🇺: highly developed urban and outdoor yoga, with daily use of yoga mat in parks or on terraces.
🇩🇪: more than 5 million regular practitioners and a wide adoption of the yoga mat in homes.
🇫🇷: approximately 3 to 4 million yogis, the majority of whom are equipped with a yoga mat staff.
🇬🇧: Post-COVID yoga boom with sales boom yoga mat at home.
🇳🇱: high sensitivity to holistic well-being and sustainable equipment (cork rugs, for example).
🇯🇵: integration of yoga in small spaces, the yoga mat It is compact, foldable, and often used on the ground.
🇮🇳: although the cradle of yoga, the use of yoga mat “modern” is becoming more common there, especially among the urban middle classes.
This massive diffusion shows that the yoga mat goes beyond its role as a simple sports accessory . It becomes a tool for anchoring morning routines, breathing, mobility or refocusing , at the heart of modern daily life.
NEW GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS IN FULL GROWTH YOGA
Long concentrated in India, North America and Western Europe, the practice of yoga is now spreading to new regions of the globe , where yoga mat is becoming a marker of social evolution, accessible well-being, and even modernity .
In East Africa , cities like Nairobi, Kigali, and Accra are seeing the emergence of vibrant yoga communities, often led by female entrepreneurs. There, yoga mat symbolizes a reclamation of personal space in societies where mental health is becoming a growing issue. In South Africa , postural yoga is also experiencing rapid growth in urban centers.
In Latin America , Brazil is no longer the only country to dominate: Chile, Mexico and Colombia are investing in wellness events, urban yoga studios, and local distribution of yoga mat eco-designed. In Bogotá or São Paulo , the yoga mat are invited into public spaces, parks or even businesses.
On the Asian side, Indonesia , the Philippines and Thailand are increasingly integrating yoga into tourist offerings, but also into urban routines. In Bali or Bangkok , the yoga mat becomes an everyday object, well beyond tourism.
Even in less-than-expected regions like the Middle East , yoga is making strides. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi , high-end studios and concept stores are springing up around premium yoga mat , leveraging a lifestyle vision of well-being.
This global phenomenon illustrates that yoga is no longer a practice reserved for a Western elite . It is becoming a universal language of body and mind , and yoga mat is its silent but fundamental support .
THE BEST STATISTICAL SOURCES TO TRACK THE EVOLUTION OF YOGA AND THE YOGA MAT MARKET
To measure the global expansion of yoga , and understand the meteoric rise of the yoga mat market , it is essential to rely on reliable, up-to-date and globally comparable data .
The Yoga Alliance (USA) publishes detailed reports annually on practitioner profiles, session frequency, and geographic distribution. Its Yoga in the World report has become a benchmark, indicating, for example, that nearly 38 million Americans were practicing yoga on yoga mat in 2023 ( r.yogaalliance.org ).
The Good Body website aggregates and translates the main studies in the sector into accessible figures. We learn that the global yoga market (including yoga mat , clothing, accessories) exceeded $88 billion in 2023 , with projected growth of 9.4% per year ( thegoodbody.com ).
Statista , for its part, offers a macroeconomic reading with statistics by country on the rate of yoga mat equipment , online sales, or purchasing habits according to age and gender. For example, it includes the market shares of yoga mat eco-friendly vs. PVC, or sales peaks by region.
Finally, platforms like Exercise.com or Yoga Journal combine health data, fitness trends and consumption. They allow us to observe the evolution of the place of yoga mat in homes and studios around the world.
Drawing on these sources not only allows us to follow major trends, but also to distinguish the cultural practices of yoga in each country... and to see how yoga mat is becoming a concrete witness to this globalization of well-being .
WHY THE YOGA MAT IS ESTABLISHING ITSELF TODAY AS A GLOBAL SYMBOL OF WELL-BEING
In a world of perpetual movement, yoga offers a fixed point, a return to oneself . And at the heart of this practice, there is a discreet but fundamental object: the yoga mat . More than a simple support, it becomes for millions of people a personal space of regeneration , stability and breathing.
From the urban floor of Tokyo to the beaches of Rio, from the parquet floor of a Canadian living room to the rooftop of a Nairobi building, yoga mat is performed every day as a gesture of intention . It marks the moment when we disconnect from the tumult to reconnect with what is essential. It materializes this gentle boundary between the outside and the inside, between the world and ourselves.
If yoga is a thousand-year-old discipline , its contemporary adaptation involves this nomadic, colorful, technical or refined object. The yoga mat becomes the mirror of a new way of experiencing well-being : more autonomous, more conscious, more anchored. It embodies at the same time a tool, a ritual and a reference point.
It's this simplicity—laying a mat, breathing, grounding—that explains why the yoga mat has emerged today as a truly global symbol of well-being . A silent, yet powerful symbol.
Thank you TINA for this post
👉 Discover our complete guide to choosing the right yoga mat
👉 Browse the Yogaterrae yoga mat collection to find yours
👉 Or reread our post: The 7 mistakes to avoid with a yoga mat
TINA's Bio
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TINA
1994, Reunion Island & Mauritius, a Life driven by the Indian Ocean and Yoga
Since childhood, this intrepid traveler has traveled the globe, leaving her footprints on beaches around the world.Passionate about surfing, scuba diving and sailing, she has made the ocean her playground and source of inspiration.
The freedom of the waves, the serenity of the ocean depths and the wind in his sails have punctuated his journey, always guided by a quest for connection with nature.
It was through her explorations that yoga became more than a practice for her – it was a way of life.
Between early morning surf sessions and meditative sunsets, she found in yoga a perfect balance of strength, flow and self-awareness.
Today, she combines her passion for water sports with teaching yoga and is part of the Yogaterrae team, here in France, in the South West and often remotely :)
This adventurer is a true source of inspiration for anyone who aspires to live in harmony with their body and nature.
Through her stories of incredible experiences, she invites everyone to open up to a world where every wave, every breath and every posture is a celebration of life.
