Dietary Supplement Use Statistics 2026

Three in four Americans now take at least one dietary supplement. The global market for these products reached an estimated $209 billion in 2025 and is on track to exceed $414 billion by 2033, growing at roughly 9% per year. Use among U.S. adults climbed from 51.8% in 2011-2012 to 61.4% in 2021-2023 based on NHANES data, while independent surveys push that figure even higher. For active people, the numbers are more striking: sports nutrition supplement use rose from 36% to 45% among supplement users between 2019 and 2024, and creatine saw the fastest single-year growth of any supplement tracked in 2025, jumping 17 percentage points in popularity.

Supplement use is no longer a niche behaviour. Gyms, grocery stores, and smartphones have made protein powders, vitamin D, and magnesium a routine part of millions of people's daily habits. The reasons people reach for them vary - immune support, energy, muscle building, recovery, and sleep all feature prominently in survey data.

This post gathers 15 key dietary supplement statistics for 2026, each tied to a credible source. The data covers prevalence by age and sex, market size, the most popular products, what gym-goers and athletes actually use, and how supplement spending has held steady despite broader cost-of-living pressures. It is aimed at fitness-minded adults who want to know where the numbers actually stand. You will find 15 statistics total.

1. 75% of Americans report using dietary supplements

Three quarters of U.S. adults used at least one dietary supplement in the past year, according to the 2024 CRN Consumer Survey conducted by Ipsos for the Council for Responsible Nutrition. The figure has held steady at roughly 75% for two consecutive years, suggesting a plateau at a historically high level. Multivitamins remain the most common entry point, but the survey found increasing use of targeted products - magnesium, creatine, and melatonin all climbed versus prior years. For gym-goers tracking their nutrition, that 75% figure means the majority of people training alongside you are supplementing in some form.

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition - 2024 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements

2. U.S. supplement use climbed from 51.8% to 61.4% between 2011 and 2023

Based on NHANES data covering U.S. adults, overall dietary supplement use rose from 51.8% in 2011-2012 to 61.4% in 2021-2023. Use of four or more supplement products simultaneously increased from 10.0% to 16.2% over the same period. The data comes from self-reported 30-day use in nationally representative household surveys. Ten specific supplements drove most of the growth: biotin, vitamins B1, B12, C, and D, zinc, CoQ10, fibre, ginger, and probiotics all increased consistently across the decade. This government dataset provides the most reliable population-wide trend available.

Source: CDC NCHS Data Brief No. 561 - Dietary Supplement Use: United States, August 2021-August 2023

3. Adults aged 60 and older lead supplement use at 75.9%

Supplement use climbs steeply with age in the U.S. Among adults aged 20-39, 46.3% used any supplement in the past 30 days. That figure rises to 60.3% among those aged 40-59, and to 75.9% among those aged 60 and over, per the CDC NHANES 2021-2023 data brief. For older women specifically, earlier NHANES cycles recorded use as high as 80.2%. The reasons older adults supplement differ from younger users - vitamins D and B12, calcium, and omega-3s feature more prominently, while protein and creatine skew younger. For lifters, this age gradient reinforces why strength training in later decades is paired with intentional nutrition strategy, including targeted supplementation.

Source: CDC NCHS Data Brief No. 561 - Dietary Supplement Use: United States, August 2021-August 2023

4. Women supplement at a higher rate than men - 63.8% vs. 50.8%

Female adults in the U.S. report dietary supplement use at 63.8%, compared to 50.8% for males. That gap narrows significantly among fitness-focused populations: in gym-member studies, men frequently outnumber women in protein and creatine use, with one study finding 83.3% of male gym members using supplements versus 63.9% of female members. The women's general health supplement market was $2.6 billion in 2024 compared to $1.9 billion for men's general health products. As women's strength training participation has grown - covered in depth on the Women & Strength Training Statistics 2026 post - so has female use of performance-focused products like protein and iron.

Source: CDC NCHS Data Brief No. 399 - Dietary Supplement Use Among Adults

5. Sports nutrition supplement use rose from 36% to 45% among users between 2019 and 2024

Among Americans who take supplements, the share using sports nutrition products climbed from 36% in 2019 to 45% in 2024 - a nine percentage point gain in five years. The CRN 2024 Consumer Survey documented this shift, alongside a parallel rise in weight management product use (22% to 27% over the same period). This signals that supplements are no longer primarily marketed to competitive athletes - recreational gym members and casual exercisers increasingly reach for protein powders, amino acids, and pre-workouts as part of a standard training routine. Pairing supplement use with consistent workout tracking, as explored in Workout Statistics 2026: How Often People Train, helps connect intake to actual training load.

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition - 2024 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements

6. The global dietary supplement market was valued at $209 billion in 2025

Grand View Research estimated the global dietary supplements market at USD 209.52 billion in 2025, projecting growth to USD 414.52 billion by 2033 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.9%. Within that, the U.S. market alone was valued at USD 68.74 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 131 billion by 2033. Vitamins lead by ingredient at 28.2% share. The market's scale reflects both rising health consciousness and structural shifts - a growing proportion of the global middle class with disposable income and preventive health goals. For athletes and gym-goers, the breadth of choice that market size implies is both an opportunity and a challenge: more products means more scrutiny required.

Source: Grand View Research - Dietary Supplements Market Size, Industry Report 2033

7. The median supplement user spends $50 per month

The CRN 2024 Consumer Survey found the median monthly expenditure among supplement users was $50, unchanged from $53 in 2023 after inflation adjustment. Spending varied sharply by purchase channel: users buying from healthcare professionals spent a median of $100 per month, those at natural food stores spent $80, and specialty vitamin retailers averaged $75. Online buyers tended to spend less. Despite broader inflationary pressures, supplement spending has remained stable, suggesting consumers view it as a non-negotiable part of their health budget. For lifters managing a tight budget, knowing the median spend helps benchmark what a properly supported training diet actually costs.

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition - 2024 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements

8. Vitamin D remained the most-purchased supplement for the eleventh year in a row

ConsumerLab's 2026 Supplement Users Survey, drawing on over 8,850 respondents who actively use supplements, found vitamin D remained the most purchased product for the eleventh consecutive year, bought by 71.7% of respondents. Magnesium held second place at 64.8%, having overtaken fish oil in recent years. Fish oil came third at 49.7%. This persistence at the top reflects both ongoing concern about widespread insufficiency and a robust body of research linking adequate vitamin D to bone, immune, and muscle function. For strength athletes, vitamin D's role in calcium absorption and potential impact on muscle protein synthesis make it a priority supplement, especially for those training indoors year-round.

Source: ConsumerLab.com - 2026 Supplement Popularity Press Release

9. Creatine saw the fastest growth of any supplement in 2025, up 17.1 percentage points

Among the 200 most-tracked supplements in ConsumerLab's 2026 annual survey, creatine recorded the largest absolute gain in popularity during 2025 at plus 17.1 percentage points. That outpaced magnesium (+5.3 points), low-dose lithium (+3.5 points), and vitamin K (+2.5 points). Creatine's expansion beyond powerlifters and bodybuilders into general fitness users, older adults, and even cognitive health applications has driven this rapid uptake. For a deeper look at the numbers behind creatine specifically - usage rates, safety data from 652 pooled studies, and the strength gains research - see the Creatine Statistics 2026: Usage, Safety & Gains post.

Source: ConsumerLab.com - 2026 Supplement Popularity Press Release

10. 75.6% of recreational gym-goers use nutritional supplements

A study of recreational gym members found 75.6% used nutritional supplements to improve their physical condition, while just 24.3% did not. Male gym members used supplements at a higher rate than female members (83.3% vs. 63.9%). Protein was the most common product, followed by creatine and multivitamins. Among the reasons cited, gaining muscle was the most frequent motivator at 55.7%, followed by accelerating recovery at 52.7% and improving performance at 47.3%. These numbers confirm that for regular gym attendees, supplementation is the norm rather than the exception - and that recovery is nearly as important a driver as raw muscle gain.

Source: PMC - Prevalence of dietary supplement use by gym members in Portugal and associated factors

11. Only about 33% of supplements patients take are disclosed to their doctor

A meta-analysis estimated that patients disclose dietary supplement use to their healthcare providers at a rate of roughly 33% - meaning two in three supplements a patient takes go unreported during medical visits. A large cross-sectional study of 603 patients found that while 79% reported taking at least one supplement totalling 2,107 products, only 33.9% of those products were discussed with their provider. Non-disclosure increases the risk of supplement-drug interactions. The primary reasons patients cited for not disclosing: the provider did not ask, the patient did not think it was relevant, or there was insufficient time during the appointment. For athletes taking multiple products, proactive disclosure is a straightforward way to reduce interaction risk.

Source: PMC - Factors Related to Disclosure and Nondisclosure of Dietary Supplements in Primary Care

12. Between 2004 and 2021, the FDA received 79,071 adverse event reports linked to supplements

The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition logged 79,071 adverse events related to dietary supplement use between 2004 and 2021. These reports span products from herbal preparations to sports nutrition products and weight-loss supplements. The FDA requires manufacturers to report serious adverse events within 15 business days, but consumer reporting remains voluntary, meaning actual adverse events are likely undercounted. The burden falls disproportionately on products marketed for weight loss and bodybuilding, which have historically drawn the most FDA warning letters. For gym-goers, choosing brands with third-party testing certification (NSF, Informed Sport) meaningfully reduces exposure to contaminated or mislabelled products.

Source: PMC - FDA's Approach to Dietary Supplement Regulations and Adverse Event Reports

13. 69% of supplement users seek a personalised regimen when choosing products

The 2024 CRN Consumer Survey found that 69% of supplement users look for a personalised regimen when choosing their products. That demand for personalisation is reshaping the market: subscription services, DNA-based recommendations, and AI-driven nutrition apps are all capitalising on the insight that generic one-size-fits-all approaches are losing ground. Separately, 79% of supplement users said they would rather take supplements than over-the-counter or prescription medications when appropriate. Brand loyalty remains high at 71%, consistent with prior years. The drive toward personalisation aligns closely with how training-minded individuals already think about their workouts - tailored programmes outperform generic plans for the same reason tailored supplementation outperforms guesswork.

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition - 2024 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements

14. Overall health and wellness is the top reason Americans supplement, cited by the majority

The CRN 2024 survey found that overall health and wellness was the primary reason U.S. supplement users took their products. Drilling into specific goals: immune health was cited by 30% of users, energy by 27%, and skin, hair, and nail care by 26%. Sleep health grew from 17% in 2021 to 22% in 2024, and mental health from 16% to 19% over the same period. For active adults, this data confirms that supplementation has expanded beyond performance - recovery, sleep quality, and mental resilience are now mainstream reasons to supplement. The connection between sleep and strength training output is well-documented; see Sleep Statistics 2026: Recovery, Rest & Training for the full picture.

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition - 2024 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements

15. Protein supplementation significantly increases muscle size and strength in resistance training adults

A meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, pooling data from 49 randomised controlled trials and 1,863 participants, found that dietary protein supplementation significantly increased both muscle mass (fat-free mass) and one-rep-max strength in adults performing resistance training. The effect was present across age groups, though the researchers noted increasing age reduced the effect size while greater training experience enhanced it. A 2025 Bayesian multilevel meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials further confirmed protein supplementation enhances athletic performance and post-exercise recovery. For lifters already doing the hard work in the gym, evidence consistently supports that adequate protein - whether from whole foods or supplements - amplifies the training signal.

Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine - Protein supplementation meta-analysis by Morton et al.

What the data tells us

Supplement use is now a majority behaviour among U.S. adults and near-universal among regular gym-goers. The trajectory is clear: use rose steadily through the 2010s, accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic heightened health awareness, and has stabilised at historically high levels. Three in four Americans supplement, and among active adults in gyms, that figure approaches four in five.

The evidence base for individual supplements varies sharply. Protein and creatine carry among the strongest evidence in sports nutrition - both supported by dozens of well-controlled trials showing meaningful improvements in muscle mass, strength, and recovery. Other popular products - many in the energy, weight-loss, and herbal categories - carry far thinner evidence and account for a disproportionate share of FDA adverse event reports. The gap between what the market sells and what the research supports remains large.

The most consistent finding across supplement research is that supplementation works best as a complement to structured training and adequate dietary protein - not as a substitute for either.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of Americans use dietary supplements?

According to the 2024 CRN Consumer Survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, 75% of U.S. adults used at least one dietary supplement in the past year. Government NHANES data puts the figure at 61.4% when limited to the past 30 days, reflecting differences in survey methodology and population sampling.

What are the most popular dietary supplements in the United States?

Vitamin D is the most purchased supplement for the eleventh consecutive year, used by 71.7% of active supplement users in ConsumerLab's 2026 survey, followed by magnesium at 64.8% and fish oil at 49.7%. Among gym-goers, protein supplements and creatine are the most widely used performance-focused products.

Do dietary supplements actually work for building muscle?

A meta-analysis of 49 randomised controlled trials found that protein supplementation significantly increased both muscle mass and strength in adults doing resistance training. Creatine monohydrate has an equally strong evidence base - the International Society of Sports Nutrition calls it the most effective ergogenic supplement available for high-intensity exercise. Effectiveness for other supplements varies widely and is often not well-supported by high-quality evidence.

How much do people spend on supplements each month?

The median monthly supplement expenditure among users was $50 in 2024, according to the CRN Consumer Survey. Spending rises with the channel used: buyers who purchase through healthcare professionals spend a median of $100 per month, while those buying from natural food stores spend around $80. Overall spending has been stable despite broader inflationary pressures.