The growth of the outdoor recreation industry has outpaced the growth of the overall US economy, as more Americans are spending money and time pursuing outdoor activities. This is supported by the BEA’s latest numbers, which show that programs like the Great Bicycle Infrastructure Project are timely and critical to expanding access and resources for an ever-growing number of Americans participating in cycling. PeopleForBikes, a coalition of millio
The BEA estimated that altogether, outdoor recreation contributed $1.08 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2022, with bicycling adding $4.32 billion. While this measure of GDP only tells a small portion of bicycling’s overall contribution to the U.S. economy, the takeaways are nonetheless impactful.
TLDR?
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimated that outdoor recreation contributed $1.08 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2022, with bicycling adding $4.32 billion.
• The BEA’s measurement of the economic contribution of bicycling (and other outdoor activities) to the GDP captures only the spending on goods produced within the U.S. and excludes imports in its estimates, meaning that the money spent on imported bicycles does not figure into the BEA’s estimates.
• Despite the bicycle industry’s impact on the U.S. GDP not matching the highs of the first two years of the pandemic, the overall economic influence of the outdoor recreation industry has seen substantial growth, reaching a value of $1.08 trillion and supporting nearly 500 million U.S. jobs.
• The BEA’s latest numbers support PeopleForBikes’ work to increase funding for biking and outdoor recreation at the local, state, and federa
