Elk NetworkReport: Interest in Archery is Booming

General | November 1, 2017

A new report indicates there is a 20 percent increase in the number of Americans taking part in archery from 2012 to 2015, boosting the number of archers to 23.8 million.

The American Recreation Coalition’s Outdoor Recreation Outlook 2018 focuses on sales and other aspects of outdoor recreation. It indicates Americans spent $887 billion every year on a wide range of equipment and services.

The report attributes the growth and popularity of archery to pop culture and its prominence in television, movies and successful programs such as National Archery in the Schools.

According to a study from the Archery Trade Association, 9.9 percent of Americans age 18 and older shot archery sports in 2015. Sixty-four percent of archery participants are male, and 36 percent are female. Archery participants are focused on fun, with 76 percent of participants shooting as recreational archers. Thirty-five percent are bowhunters, who shoot exclusively to prepare for bowhunting.

View the entire report here.