Astrology set for $23 bn business by 2031, one in three Americans consulting experts

What do the stars have in store for you today?

More and more Americans are turning to their astrologers for spiritual guidance, so much so that the industry is witnessing a boom in business. A Pew Research has found that at least 30 per cent of people in the US believe in astrology or horoscopes and consult fortune tellers and astrologers once a year.

The practice is popular among young adults – especially younger women –  who are most likely to believe in astrology and to consult astrology or horoscopes. The survey found that 43 per cent of women ages 18 to 49 say they believe in astrology, compared to 27 per cent of women ages 50 and older, 20 per cent of men ages 18 to 49, and 16 per cent of men who are 50 and older.

Astrology startups see an uptick in users

According to a report by The Economist, organisations working in this field of business, like the American firm Co-Star and the Indian firm AstroTalk, are registering an increased number of users.

While Co-Star is reported to have more than 30 million users, AstroTalk connects more than 40,000 astrologers to 80 million customers remotely.

While technological advancements often undermine pseudoscience, they have amplified astrology’s influence. In the early 20th century, astrology gained popularity through newspaper horoscope columns; with the rise of the internet and smartphones, its appeal has extended to a new generation of stargazers.

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‘Just for fun’

However, most of the Americans said that they are interested in knowing how their stars and planets are aligned “just for fun”, rather that depending on them for making major life decisions.

Overall, 20 per cent of US adults say they participate in at least one of these activities primarily “just for fun,” while 10 per cent do so mainly because they believe the practices offer valuable insights.

“Relatively few Americans make major life decisions based on what they learn from astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers. Just 1 per cent of US adults say they rely a lot on what they have learned from these practices when making major life decisions. An additional 5 per cent say they rely a little on what they have learned,” the Pew survey said.