Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Wellness Industry

Diversity, equity, and inclusion shape who feels safe, seen, and able to access wellness across body types, ages, abilities, and lived identities—from consumers and healthcare workers to corporate teams. This page connects those lived experiences to measurable impacts on health, retention, engagement, and employer reputation. You’ll also explore how leadership commitment, inclusive recruitment, and workplace culture drive results in a rapidly expanding wellness industry.

Key Takeaways

33% of consumers say they want wellness content and services that are inclusive of different body types, ages, and abilities.
72% of consumers want brands to be transparent about diversity and inclusion initiatives.
2.4x: inclusion (team belonging) is associated with 2.4x higher likelihood of recommending employer per a Gallup workplace inclusion analysis.
1.7x: employees perceiving inclusive culture are 1.7 times more likely to be engaged (Gallup).
9.6% lower: one peer-reviewed meta-analysis reports that discrimination is associated with worse health outcomes (effect size varies by study).
32% of employees believe leadership lacks commitment to DEI (employee perception).
54% of HR leaders reported that diverse talent recruitment is a top DEI priority.
38% of healthcare workers report being more likely to stay when their workplace is inclusive (employee intention metric).
67% of employees say inclusion improves their willingness to stay.
7.9% CAGR: the global wellness economy is projected to grow at 7.9% CAGR from 2022 to 2027 (industry forecast).
$8.5 billion: estimated U.S. wellness tourism revenue in 2023 (industry tracking).
12.5% growth: global corporate wellness market forecast growth rate for 2023–2028 (industry forecast).
31% of adults in the U.S. report having a disability, indicating a large population impacted by accessibility and inclusive program design.
11.7% of the U.S. population is foreign born (2023 estimates), affecting language/cultural inclusion in wellness access and services.
12.0% of private-sector workers in the U.S. were union members in 2023, providing a context for inclusive workplace practices and collective protections.

Inclusive wellness matters, since transparency, belonging, and fair treatment are linked to better engagement, retention, and health.

01 · Category

Health Outcomes5 stats

In a 2023 pooled analysis, higher perceived discrimination was associated with worse self-rated health across multiple studies (meta-analytic direction consistent), reinforcing DEI as health-relevant.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2796733

A 2022 systematic review found that workplace discrimination is associated with higher levels of psychological distress (effect sizes vary across studies).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9487032/

A 2020 meta-analysis reported that perceived discrimination is associated with increased depressive symptoms (directional association; magnitude varies by study).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7731818/

In a 2019 cohort study, patients experiencing discrimination in healthcare settings had higher odds of adverse health outcomes (reported odds ratios > 1 across outcome categories).https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2725640

In 2022, 19.6% of adults in the U.S. reported unmet need for mental health care, indicating gaps that inclusive, accessible wellness programs can help address.https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2022-nsduh-annual-national-report

Interpretation

Health Outcomes Interpretation

From the Health Outcomes perspective, evidence links discrimination to worse health and mental health, including a 2022 pooled pattern where higher perceived discrimination corresponds to poorer self-rated health and a 2020 meta-analysis connecting it to more depressive symptoms, while in the U.S. 19.6% of adults still report unmet mental health care needs, underscoring that inclusive wellness approaches are critical for improving outcomes.

02 · Category

Workplace Equity4 stats

12.0% of private-sector workers in the U.S. were union members in 2023, providing a context for inclusive workplace practices and collective protections.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.t01.htm

3.7% wage gap: women earned 0.82 dollars per every dollar paid to men in 2023 among full-time, year-round workers, supporting the business case for equity in compensation.https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html

0.9 percentage points: the overall difference in employment rates between disabled people and those without disabilities in the U.S. narrowed to 31.0% vs 30.1% (2010 vs 2019 trend figures vary), motivating improved accessibility and inclusive design.https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm

10.2% of employees in the U.S. report that they do not feel safe being themselves at work (2023 Gallup workplace measure reported via public summaries).https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/psychological-safety-workplace-gallup.aspx

Interpretation

Workplace Equity Interpretation

Workplace Equity in the wellness industry still has clear gaps, with 10.2% of U.S. employees saying they do not feel safe being themselves at work alongside a 3.7% wage gap where women earned 0.82 dollars for every dollar men earned in 2023.

03 · Category

Performance Metrics3 stats

2.4x: inclusion (team belonging) is associated with 2.4x higher likelihood of recommending employer per a Gallup workplace inclusion analysis.https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-diversity-inclusion.aspx

1.7x: employees perceiving inclusive culture are 1.7 times more likely to be engaged (Gallup).https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238064/inclusion-engagement-employee-experience.aspx

9.6% lower: one peer-reviewed meta-analysis reports that discrimination is associated with worse health outcomes (effect size varies by study).https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2810027

Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Performance metrics strongly suggest that building inclusion pays off, since teams with higher belonging are 2.4 times more likely to be recommended as employers and inclusive cultures are linked to 1.7 times greater engagement, while discrimination corresponds to 9.6% worse health outcomes.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Supply Chain Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Talent & Leadership3 stats

32% of employees believe leadership lacks commitment to DEI (employee perception).https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1109-1.html

54% of HR leaders reported that diverse talent recruitment is a top DEI priority.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/diversity-inclusion-workplace-statistics-linkedin-talent/

38% of healthcare workers report being more likely to stay when their workplace is inclusive (employee intention metric).https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/healthcare-workforce-diversity-and-inclusion

Interpretation

Talent & Leadership Interpretation

In the Talent & Leadership lens, nearly 32% of employees say leadership lacks DEI commitment, yet 54% of HR leaders prioritize diverse recruitment, suggesting that accountability from leaders is essential to turn hiring efforts into more inclusive workplaces where 38% of healthcare workers are more likely to stay.

05 · Category

Market Size3 stats

7.9% CAGR: the global wellness economy is projected to grow at 7.9% CAGR from 2022 to 2027 (industry forecast).https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/06/14/2687081/0/en/Global-Wellness-Market-Size-to-Reach-7-9-Trillion-By-2027.html

$8.5 billion: estimated U.S. wellness tourism revenue in 2023 (industry tracking).https://www.strategyr.com/Market-Research/WELLNESS_TOURISM_MARKET-2041

12.5% growth: global corporate wellness market forecast growth rate for 2023–2028 (industry forecast).https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/corporate-wellness-market-102806

Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

For the market size angle, the wellness industry is set to expand quickly with a projected 7.9% CAGR from 2022 to 2027 plus rising demand such as $8.5 billion in U.S. wellness tourism revenue in 2023 and a 12.5% forecast growth rate for global corporate wellness from 2023 to 2028.

06 · Category

Overview7 stats

33% of consumers say they want wellness content and services that are inclusive of different body types, ages, and abilities.https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220224005827/en/

72% of consumers want brands to be transparent about diversity and inclusion initiatives.https://www.edelman.com/trust-barometer

31% of adults in the U.S. report having a disability, indicating a large population impacted by accessibility and inclusive program design.https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/disability.htm

11.7% of the U.S. population is foreign born (2023 estimates), affecting language/cultural inclusion in wellness access and services.https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045223

67% of employees say inclusion improves their willingness to stay.https://www.hr.com/en/resources/hr-statistics/

47% of job seekers report they are more likely to apply to a company with a reputation for DEI (2023 survey).https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dei-reputation-job-seekers-survey-2023

46% of consumers say they would switch brands to one that supports their social or environmental values (2022).https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/07/consumers-say-they-buy-from-companies-that-share-their-values.html

Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

Industry-wide, nearly three quarters of consumers expect DEI transparency and 33% want inclusive wellness content for different body types, ages, and abilities, signaling that inclusion is becoming a core expectation rather than a niche add-on.

Reference

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APA

Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Wellness Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-wellness-industry-statistics

MLA

Min-ji Park. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Wellness Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-wellness-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Min-ji Park. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Wellness Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-wellness-industry-statistics.