Wellness in Australia has shifted from a niche lifestyle into a sprawling consumer economy— boasting the fourth largest wellness economy in the Asia Pacific, according to the leading research organisation for the global wellness industry, The Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

Their annual report found Australia boasts one of the world’s fastest-growing wellness economies, growing at an annual rate of 7.5% from 2019-2023.

According to GWI, key areas of growth in Australia include:

• Wellness tourism (up 32.9% from 2022-2023)
• Thermal/mineral springs (up 21.5%)
• Wellness real estate (up 13.9%)
• Mental wellness (up 10.1%)
• Physical activity (up 9.4%).

This boon has launched Australia in global ranking (judged by the size of its overall wellness economy) from #13 in 2019 to #10 in 2023.

As of 2023 the Australian wellness industry was estimated at US$126.7 billion.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) spending analysis shows individuals spent $11.8 billion in 2021–22 on non-PBS medications, which includes over-the-counter products, vitamins and health-related products.

On a per-person basis, individuals spent $445 in 2020–21 on non-subsidised medications (again including vitamins and similar products). The takeaway: even without counting fitness memberships, retreats, beauty, or wellness real estate, Australians spend serious money on the “health products” end of wellness.

So what are our key segments?

Fitness and gyms (the visible backbone)

IBISWorld estimates Gyms and Fitness Centres market size at $3.8bn in 2024 and industry revenue around $3.7bn in 2025. The number of gym businesses was about 7,595 in 2024.

But “fitness” now extends well beyond gyms: boutique studios, online coaching, wearable-driven training plans, and hybrid memberships—often marketed less as exercise and more as identity, community, and mental health.

Vitamins, supplements, and “complementary medicines”

Supplements are one of the fastest-growing (and most contested) parts of the wellness universe because the line between general health support and implied treatment can get fuzzy.

Industry snapshots show how diversified supplement demand has become—women’s health, digestive health, immune support, joints, bones, and more. And the national spending numbers above show how much households put into non-subsidised meds and products.

Wellness tourism and retreats (experiences)

Australia sells nature, coast, and “reset culture” well—and wellness tourism has ridden that wave. GWI stats above highlights strong recent growth in wellness tourism as part of the broader wellness economy.

The “new wellness”: mental health, apps, and self-tracking

From mindfulness subscriptions to wearable data to meal-planning and macro-tracking, wellness is increasingly tech-mediated. (This is where the sector’s promise—access, personalisation—also collides with privacy concerns and dubious “quantified health” claims.)

As strong as our wellness industry is, Australia has also had our fair share of headline generating wellness scandals – including the infamous Belle Gibson case. Belle was a wellness influencer who built an audience and business around false claims—including that she had cancer and that she’d donated large sums to charity—before being found to have engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and being fined $410,000.

Increasingly influencers are delving into the world of wellness content in a bid to grow their reach and business – with little to no evidence or science behind their claims.

Since the instance of Belle Gibson, Australia regulates advertising of therapeutic goods (many supplements, devices, and related products) through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA explicitly provides guidance for social media advertising and explains that non-compliance can attract civil and criminal penalties.

A major pressure point is testimonials/endorsements—especially when money or incentives are involved—because a “my results” post can quickly become an implied therapeutic claim.

The sector is likely to keep growing, but the winners will increasingly be those who can prove outcomes, comply with advertising rules, and avoid the influencer-driven shortcuts that create Belle Gibson-style blow-ups. The next chapter of “wellness” in Australia will be shaped by enforcement, platform accountability, and consumers getting better at one simple question:

“What’s the evidence—and who profits if I believe this?”