How to Read BEA Outdoor Recreation Statistics — Value Added, Activities, Industries and States

As of 25 October 2026 (KST); latest release: Outdoor Recreation Economic Statistics, U.S. and States, 2024, released by BEA at 10:00 a.m. EST on March 5, 2026. The release gives the next release as "Fall 2026"; BEA's release schedule lists the 2025 statistics for November 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Primary sources: https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/outdoor-recreation-economic-statistics-us-and-states-2024 and https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/outdoor-recreation-release-additional-information^[2][4][5]

Comparison basis: annual data, so the previous year is also the year-ago comparison; 2023 values are BEA's updated estimates published with the 2024 release ("Estimates for 2020 to 2023 were updated as a part of this release."). Table values are in millions as published; dollar and percentage-point changes are this page's calculations, and the 2024 compensation total is rounded here from thousands to $324.3 billion. Real values are chained 2017 dollars, and BEA notes: "Chained-dollar estimates correctly show growth rates for a series but are not additive in periods other than the base period." The release page, PDF and supporting pages are BEA publications and count as one BEA primary source.^[2][3]

In three lines

1. BEA measures the production of outdoor recreation goods and services in three categories: conventional activities, other activities and supporting activities such as travel and tourism.
2. In 2024 outdoor recreation value added was $696.7 billion, 2.4% of GDP; real value added rose 2.7%, against 2.8% for the overall economy.
3. Statistics for 2025 are scheduled for November 18, 2026 (the release itself says fall 2026).^[2][4]

Three categories. "Outdoor recreation activities fall into three general categories: (1) conventional activities such as bicycling, boating, hiking, and hunting; (2) other activities such as gardening and outdoor concerts; and (3) supporting activities such as construction, travel and tourism, local trips, and government expenditures."^[2]

Where it is counted. "Outdoor recreation is measured by place of production, not residence of consumer." "The value of manufactured goods, such as boats, is assigned to the state where they are produced, even if the goods are not ultimately used there." "The production of imported goods is excluded from outdoor recreation, but the value of the services of retailers selling the imported goods is included."^[3]

Jobs, pay and value added. "Self-employed individuals are excluded from employment totals." "Pay to the self-employed is excluded from compensation but included in value added."^[3]

Gross output vs value added. "Gross output is the value of the goods and services produced by the nation’s economy." Value added subtracts the goods and services used up in production.^[3]

Real vs current dollars. "Inflation-adjusted (“real”) GDP for the outdoor recreation economy increased 2.7 percent in 2024, compared with a 2.8 percent increase for the overall U.S. economy, reflecting a deceleration from the increase in outdoor recreation of 5.3 percent in 2023 (national table 1)." In current dollars, value added rose from $670,006 million to $696,658 million, about 4.0% (this page's calculation).^[2]

Conventional vs supporting activities. "In 2024, conventional outdoor recreation accounted for 29.5 percent of U.S. outdoor recreation value added, compared with 30.0 percent in 2023." "Supporting activities accounted for the remaining 51.5 percent of value added in 2024, compared with 51.2 percent in 2023." BEA adds: "Growth in supporting activities was led by travel and tourism, reflecting growth in spending on transportation, hotels, and restaurants (national table 4)." In national table 4, trips and travel alone were 36.3% of outdoor recreation value added in 2024.^[2]

States (BEA's statements). "Across states and the District of Columbia, value added for outdoor recreation as a share of state GDP ranged from 6.1 percent in Hawaii to 1.0 percent in the District of Columbia (state table 1)." "Outdoor recreation employment increased in 36 states and the District of Columbia in 2024."^[2]

Activities and industries (BEA's statements). "Boating/fishing was the largest conventional activity for the nation at $38.4 billion in current-dollar value added and was the largest conventional activity in 34 states." "For the nation, the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services industry group was the largest contributor to U.S. outdoor recreation current-dollar value added in 2024, accounting for $174.4 billion, or 25.0 percent."^[2]

Gross output vs value added. Current-dollar gross output was $1,257,641 million and value added $696,658 million in 2024, so value added was about 55.4% of gross output (this page's calculation).^[2][3]

Wage-and-salary employment and compensation shares differ from the value added share. In state table 1, outdoor recreation was 2.4% of U.S. value added, 3.2% of U.S. wage-and-salary employment and 2.2% of compensation in 2024 (published values); the release does not explain the differences.^[2]

Suppressed cells and negative values. Some state industry cells show (D): "(D) Data are suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information." In national table 6, state and local government enterprises show negative current-dollar value added in recent years (-1,060 million in 2024); the table gives the values without commentary.^[2]