Hunting demographics statistics from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show a broad participant base. In 2022, 14.4 million Americans age 16 and older hunted, equal to 6% of the U.S. population in that age group. Big-game hunting represented most of that participation, with 11.5 million big-game hunters.
Contents
- U.S. hunting participation
- Big-game hunting by age
- Gender demographics
- Race and ethnicity
- Household income
- Youth hunting participation
- Trips and spending
U.S. hunting participation
The [FWS 2022 National Survey press release] reports 14.4 million American hunters age 16 and older in 2022. That was 6% of the U.S. population age 16 and older. The [FWS Big-Game Hunters report] counted 11.5 million big-game hunters, meaning about 1 in every 23 Americans age 16 and older hunted big game. The same report said 8 in 10 hunters hunted big game in 2022.
Hunting is part of a larger outdoor-participation population. The [FWS 2022 Participation and Expenditure Patterns by Demographics] reported that almost 44.6 million Americans age 16 and older hunted or fished in 2022. Among those hunting-or-fishing participants, 13.6 million were women, 7.0 million were Hispanic, 5.0 million were African American, and 1.5 million were Asian American.
These figures describe different measures. The 14.4 million figure is the number of hunters age 16 and older, while the 44.6 million figure includes both hunters and anglers. The big-game total is narrower still: it describes hunters who participated in big-game hunting.
Big-game hunting by age
The [FWS Big-Game Hunters report] counted big-game hunters in six age groups during the 2022 survey. The largest reported group was ages 35 to 44, with 2,318 thousand big-game hunters. The next-largest groups were ages 55 to 64, at 2,098 thousand, and age 65 and older, at 2,093 thousand.
| Age group | Big-game hunters | Participation rate |
|---|---|---|
| 16 to 24 | 1,567 thousand | 4% |
| 25 to 34 | 1,782 thousand | 4% |
| 35 to 44 | 2,318 thousand | 5% |
| 45 to 54 | 1,645 thousand | 4% |
| 55 to 64 | 2,098 thousand | 5% |
| 65+ | 2,093 thousand | 4% |
The reported big-game participation rate was 4% for ages 16 to 24, 4% for ages 25 to 34, 5% for ages 35 to 44, 4% for ages 45 to 54, 5% for ages 55 to 64, and 4% for people age 65 and older. Within the survey’s age categories, the rates were therefore tightly grouped between 4% and 5%.
The counts and rates answer different questions. Counts show the number of people in each reported age group who hunted big game. Rates show the share of that age group participating. Because the underlying population sizes differ, a larger count does not by itself mean a higher participation rate.
Gender demographics
The [FWS 2022 Participation and Expenditure Patterns by Demographics] reported 3.134 million female hunters age 16 and older in 2022. Women made up 22% of all hunters and took 27.225 million hunting trips, or 16% of all hunting trips.
The [FWS Big-Game Hunters report] reported 9,176 thousand male big-game hunters and 2,224 thousand female big-game hunters in 2022. Big-game hunting participation was 7% for men and 2% for women. These big-game figures are a specific subset and should not be treated as totals for all hunting activity.
Spending also varied within the female-hunter measures. Female hunters spent $3.366 billion on trip-related purchases and $1.909 billion on hunting equipment in 2022. Their average annual spending was $1,074 on hunting trips and $609 on equipment, according to the [FWS 2022 Participation and Expenditure Patterns by Demographics].
The broader hunting-and-fishing measure provides additional context: women accounted for 13.6 million of the almost 44.6 million Americans age 16 and older who hunted or fished in 2022. That number includes both activities and is not a female-hunter-only total.
Race and ethnicity
The [FWS 2022 Participation and Expenditure Patterns by Demographics] reported 1.952 million Hispanic hunters in 2022. Hispanics represented 14% of all hunters, took 21.141 million hunting trips, and accounted for 13% of hunting trips. Hispanic hunters spent $2.543 billion on trip-related purchases and $1.362 billion on equipment. Their average annual spending was $1,303 on trips and $698 on equipment.
African American hunters numbered 1.535 million and represented 11% of all hunters. They took 22.635 million hunting trips, or 14% of all hunting trips. African American hunters spent $2.391 billion on trip-related purchases and $1.322 billion on equipment. Their average annual spending was $1,558 on trips and $861 on equipment.
Asian American hunters numbered 775,000, representing 5% of all hunters. They took 10.170 million hunting trips, or 6% of all hunting trips. Asian American hunters spent $567 million on trip-related purchases and $369 million on equipment. Their average annual spending was $732 on trips and $476 on equipment.
| Group | Hunters | Share of hunters | Hunting trips | Share of trips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 1.952 million | 14% | 21.141 million | 13% |
| African American | 1.535 million | 11% | 22.635 million | 14% |
| Asian American | 775,000 | 5% | 10.170 million | 6% |
The same source counted 7.0 million Hispanic, 5.0 million African American, and 1.5 million Asian American participants among the almost 44.6 million Americans age 16 and older who hunted or fished in 2022. Those broader figures include fishing and should remain separate from the hunting-only counts above.
Household income
The [FWS Big-Game Hunters report] grouped 2022 big-game hunters by household income. The largest reported category was household income under $50,000, with 4,043 thousand big-game hunters. The $50,000 to $99,999 category included 3,901 thousand hunters. The remaining reported groups were 1,747 thousand hunters in households earning $100,000 to $149,999, 968 thousand in households earning $150,000 to $199,999, and 593 thousand in households earning $200,000 or more.
| Household income | Big-game hunters | Participation rate |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50,000 | 4,043 thousand | 4% |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | 3,901 thousand | 5% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 1,747 thousand | 5% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 968 thousand | 5% |
| $200,000+ | 593 thousand | 3% |
The reported participation rate was 4% for households earning under $50,000, 5% for each of the $50,000 to $99,999, $100,000 to $149,999, and $150,000 to $199,999 groups, and 3% for households earning $200,000 or more. These rates are the report’s household-income measures for big-game hunting; they are not spending averages.
Youth hunting participation
Youth figures in the [FWS 2022 Participation and Expenditure Patterns by Demographics] refer to 2021 and cover Americans ages 6 to 15. The report estimated 1.8 million youth hunters. Of those, 472,000 were female, 251,000 were Hispanic, 174,000 were African American, and 107,000 were Asian American.
The report gave the corresponding shares of all hunters ages 6 to 15 as 26% female, 14% Hispanic, 10% African American, and 6% Asian American. Because these are 2021 estimates for ages 6 to 15, they should not be combined with the 2022 age-16-and-older totals.
The youth numbers provide a separate view of participation by age. They include younger hunters who are outside the main adult survey population described in the 2022 hunting totals. The measurement year and age range are therefore essential when comparing youth figures with adult hunting demographics.
Trips and spending
All hunters age 16 and older took 165.002 million hunting trips in 2022, according to the [FWS 2022 Participation and Expenditure Patterns by Demographics]. They spent $12.323 billion on hunting trips and $7.904 billion on hunting equipment. The reported average trip-related spending was $857 per hunter, while average equipment spending was $550 per hunter.
Big-game hunting alone generated $15.6 billion in trip and equipment expenditures in 2022, according to the [FWS Big-Game Hunters report]. That measure covers big-game hunting expenditures and is different from the all-hunter trip and equipment categories reported separately above.
Across the demographic groups, the source reported the following average annual amounts. Female hunters averaged $1,074 on trips and $609 on equipment. Hispanic hunters averaged $1,303 on trips and $698 on equipment. African American hunters averaged $1,558 on trips and $861 on equipment. Asian American hunters averaged $732 on trips and $476 on equipment.
These spending figures are reported averages for the named groups and year. They do not establish why one group spent more or less, and they should not be used to infer individual household budgets. For readers interested in wild game cooking, the figures show the scale of the hunting community and its associated activity while keeping the participation, trip, equipment, and big-game measures distinct.