Report: Outdoor rec generated 2.2% of US GDP in 2022

BOULDER  – Outdoor recreation accounted for $1.1 trillion in gross economic impact in 2022, 2.2% of the nation’s gross domestic product, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The industry accounted for 2.8% of Colorado’s GDP, the report said, and outdoor-industry employment increased by 9.2% in the state. The BEA report said the outdoor industry supported 5 million jobs across the United States.

Snow-related activities in the nation accounted for $7 billion in current-dollar value added, and was the largest conventional activity in Colorado at $1.4 billion.

“It comes as no surprise that outdoor recreation and the outdoor economy continue to demonstrate outstanding growth, which also supports the historic trends in outdoor participation we have seen in recent years,” said Kent Ebersole, president of the Boulder-based Outdoor Industry Association, in a prepared statement. “The outdoor recreation participant base grew for the eighth consecutive year to a record 168.1 million participants, and new participants are increasingly diverse and looking to businesses to lead on sustainability, equity and conservation. This new data demonstrates the strength of the outdoor recreation industry and our collective power to drive sustainable economic growth while protecting – and growing access to – the benefits of the outdoors for everyone.”

The new U.S. data show that the value added of the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2% ($563.7 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) for the nation in 2022 

BEA launched its outdoor-recreation economy project in 2017 to deepen the public’s understanding of the economic impact of outdoor recreation, inform decision making and improve governance and long-term management of public lands and waters.

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