THERE has been a global surge in the demand for smart wearables that track health and fitness metrics, recent Statista data has revealed
Devices that use biometric sensors to monitor emotional wellbeing are gaining particular popularity. This follows a worldwide expansion of the smart wearable market, driven by technological advancements and increasing consumer interest
The Smart Wearables Boom
Taking off in approximately 2013-2014, the increase in demand for smart wearables now sees more than half of the population in India owning smart wearables (57%), followed closely by Mainland China (53%) and the UK (52%), as of March 2024
The most popular form of smart wearable is wristwear, at 35% market share, followed by headwear at 23% and eyewear at 17%. By 2029, the global number of smartwatch users is projected to reach more than 740 million
The fitness tracker market has experienced robust growth and is projected to continue expanding significantly into next decade
The most common use of wearable devices to track fitness metrics, reported by more than 60% of respondents to a Statista survey, was counting steps per day. Reminders to exercise and using GPS to track speed and distance were also reported by more than 30% of people
Health Implications
Many smart wearables claim to accurately track body temperature, heart rate, sleep patterns, and so on. Emerging research increasingly addresses the accuracy of smart wearables in tracking health metrics
In a 2026 prospective, single-centre pilot study, smartwatches reliably provided heart rate and ECG measurements in advanced heart failure, including patients with a left ventricular assist device. Although, oxygen saturation data provided by the smart wearable was limited
Future of the Smart Wearables Market
Amid new product launches, increases in investment and funding, technological advancements including AI, and mergers and acquisitions, the smart wearables market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory for the foreseeable future
The global smart wearables market is expected to surpass 280 billion USD by 2030
References
Tajammul Pangarkar. Smart wearables statistics by devices, technology, usage. 2026. Available at: https://scoop.market.us/smart-wearables-statistics/. Last accessed 16 February 2026
Heil E et al. Signal artefacts in wearable-based biosignal acquisition in patients with ventricular assist devices: the SMART-VADCH trial. Eur Heart J Digit Health. 2026;7(2):DOI:10.1093/ehjdh/ztag005
Author:
Anna Caldwell
