Outdoor Recreation Data
NATIONAL OUTDOOR ECONOMY
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America's Outdoor Economy by the Numbers

Follow the growth of outdoor recreation's economic footprint from 2012 to 2024. Analyze GDP contributions, industry breakdowns, and how Americans' love for the outdoors translates to economic power.

2024 Gross Output
$1257.6B
2024 Value Added
$696.7B
2024 Employment
5.25M
+1.1% YoY
2024 Compensation
$324.3B
+5.2% YoY

Value Added vs Gross Output

Gross Output ($1.26T in 2024) measures total economic output including intermediate inputs. Value Added ($696.7B) measures contribution to GDP. The difference represents intermediate inputs purchased from other industries.

Nominal vs Real Value Added

A chunk of reported "growth" is price increases. Real values are adjusted for inflation (2017 dollars).

Nominal vs Real Gross Output

Gross Output measures total economic output including intermediate inputs. Real values adjusted for inflation (2017 dollars).

Growth Rate: Outdoor Recreation vs US GDP

In 2024, outdoor recreation grew 2.7% compared with 2.8% for the US economy. First time slower than GDP since pre-pandemic.

Market Share Evolution by Category

Core outdoor recreation declining from 50.9% to 49.0% (2012-2024) as supporting services grow from 43.8% to 47.0%.