August 22, 2025: Marketdata LLC, a leading independent market research publisher since 1979, has released the 15th edition of its best-selling report, a 305-page analysis entitled: " The U.S. Market For Self-Improvement Products & Services." This is the ONLY publicly available analysis of this business. The report traces the market from 2003 to 2028 Forecast, examining these markets: Personal Coaching, Motivational Speakers, Infomercials, Apps, Holistic Institutes, Self-Help Books & Audiobooks, Training Organizations, Public Seminars, and Weight Loss Programs.
According to Research Director, John LaRosa: “Traditionally, the Baby Boomers have been the main consumers of self-improvement. They still are an important group, but the tide is shifting, as Millennials now number 75 million. Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z are the future of this market, but there are few experts now catering to them.”
Major Findings:
Market Value… Marketdata estimates that the self-improvement market in the U.S. was worth $12.0 billion in 2024, down from $13.1 billion in 2022. The main reason for the decline was the drastic decline in commercial weight loss program revenues, due to competition from the wildly popular GLP-1 drugs. The market is forecast to grow nearly 26% over the 4-year period 2024 to 2028.
Motivational Speakers… Professional speakers are doing well, taking in $1.86 billion per year. For an elite group of 19 top speakers, 2 024 revenues are estimated at $350-400 million. The “average” income has risen to $101,000, and fees are on the rise. Many older speakers are dying, are retiring, or are cutting back their road tours, shifting focus to online courses, coaching, consulting, book writing, and webinars.
Self-improvement Books… A popular book is still the basic starting point and platform for motivational speakers and experts. Marketdata estimates that self-improvement book sales declined from $708 million in 2022 to $387 million in 2024. The main reason is that there have been no best-selling diet books in the past 3-4 years, usually a staple genre.
Self-improvement Audiobooks… The Audio Publishers Association Sales Survey shows a return to double digit growth for the industry, with an increase in audiobook sales revenue to $2.22 billion in 2024, 13% over the previous year. Marketdata analysts estimate that self-improvement books now account for 13% of the total audiobook market, valued at $655 million.
Personal Coaching… Marketdata estimates that the U.S. personal coaching market was worth $2.31 billion in 2024 – up 11 % from 2022 levels. Americans, especially Millennials, have embraced coaching more widely, and the number of coaches is growing, but there are indications that revenue growth is slowing.
Holistic institutes… These 15 institutes are still popular and most are seeing modestly increased enrollments, as the effects of the 2020 pandemic fade and clients return in person. Marketdata estimates that these institutes had combined revenues of $126 million in 2024.
Training Organizations such as Franklin Covey, Dale Carnegie, Sandler Training and Toastmasters saw revenues as a group increase moderately, 4.8%, from 2022 to 2024, to $721 million .
Self-improvement apps… The self-improvement apps market in the U.S. is estimated by Marketdata to be worth at least $1.22 billion in 2024, up from $762 million in 2022, and projected to grow to $1.8 billion by 2028. Meditation and weight loss apps drive this market.
Weight Loss Programs… Commercial weight loss programs have been devasted by the competition from the popular GLP-1 drugs. Revenues of these programs declined by 46% between 2022 and 2024 – a loss of $2.1 billion for the likes of Medifast, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem and others.
“Seventy percent of self-improvement book buyers and seminar participants are women, and they are more likely to live on the east or west coasts of the United States. However , there are still very few female mega-stars in the self-improvement field, other than Suze Orman, Gabby Bernstein, and Mel Robbins.” according to John LaRosa.
About The Report
The U.S. Market For Self-Improvement Products & Services, published in August 2025, is an independent “off-the-shelf” market research study. The report is 305 pages in length, with 52 guru and company profiles and 52 tables and charts. It costs $1,495 and is available at: www.marketdataenterprises.com… A detailed Table of Contents is available via the website or email. Contact: Marketdata LLC, 7210 Wareham Drive, Tampa, FL 33647, (813) 971-8080. John LaRosa is available for interviews and presentations. A 39-pp. Overview of major findings is available for $99.
About Marketdata
Marketdata is a 46-year-old market research and consulting firm, with a specialty tracking service, healthcare and niche markets not covered elsewhere. Marketdata has tracked the self-improvement market since 1994 – the only firm worldwide to do so.
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