2022 Outdoor Recreation Participation Grew to Record Levels

The outdoor recreation participant base in the U.S. grew 2.3% in 2022 to a record 168.1 million participants – 55% of the population 6 and older. That’s the headline from Outdoor Foundation’s new 2023 Outdoor Participation Trends Report. The outdoor recreation participant base has grown each year for the last eight years, adding 14.5 million participants since the beginning of 2020.
 
The report also shows that recreationists are more diverse than ever before. Newer and younger participants are “significantly more diverse than the current outdoor base and overall U.S. population.” The Hispanic participation rate has increased to 56%, and the Black participation rate increased more than 5% in 2022 to just under 41%. Additionally, 61% of LGBTQIA+ people participated in outdoor recreation in 2022. 

Outdoor Industry Association members and Outdoor Foundation partners have exclusive access to the full 72-page report to inform their brand’s consumer and business strategy and to help drive equitable access to the outdoors nationwide. For the good of the industry, OIA and OF share key findings from the Executive Summary with the public each year.   

For over 15 years, the Outdoor Participation Trends Report has served as the most trusted and comprehensive source of insights and narratives around who’s doing what, when, and how outdoors. The Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Outdoor Industry Association, funds the research and publishes the findings in partnership with OIA every year.