Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The textile and garment sector contributes 84% of Bangladesh's total exports
In fiscal year 2022-23, Bangladesh's RMG exports reached USD 46.99 billion
The textile and apparel industry accounts for around 11% of Bangladesh's GDP
Bangladesh is the second-largest apparel exporter in the world after China
Around 4 million workers are employed in Bangladesh's garment industry, of which approximately 60% are women
Bangladesh has over 4,000 garment factories as of 2023
Knitwear exports totaled USD 23.21 billion in FY 2022-23
Woven garments accounted for USD 23.78 billion in exports in FY 2022-23
Bangladesh aims to achieve USD 100 billion in garment exports by 2030
The BGMEA has trained over 40,000 workers on fire and building safety since 2013
Bangladesh has more than 180 LEED-certified garment factories, the highest in the world
The top LEED Platinum-certified factory in the world is located in Bangladesh
Green factories in Bangladesh account for over 10% of total RMG exports
Economic Contribution
- The textile and apparel industry accounts for around 11% of Bangladesh's GDP
- Approximately 40-50% of the value addition to RMG comes from Bangladesh's domestic backward linkage industries
- Bangladesh’s apparel sector attracted USD 950 million in foreign direct investment in FY22
- Overall textile and apparel sector growth rate averaged 9.53% over the last decade
- The RMG sector occupies 7.1% of Bangladesh’s total manufacturing sector value addition
- Bangladesh’s primary textile sector saved USD 6 billion in foreign exchange in 2022
Interpretation
Threaded into the very fabric of Bangladesh’s economy, the textile and apparel sector isn’t just fashioning garments—it’s stitching together GDP growth, foreign investment, and domestic resilience with remarkable consistency and serious style.
Employment and Workforce
- Around 4 million workers are employed in Bangladesh's garment industry, of which approximately 60% are women
- The BGMEA has trained over 40,000 workers on fire and building safety since 2013
- Average monthly wage for garment workers is approximately USD 95 as of 2023
- The planned minimum wage increase in 2023 would raise wages by approximately 50%
- Over 200 factories are manned by over 60% female workforce
- The productivity of Bangladeshi workers is approximately 77% lower than that of China’s workers in the same sector
Interpretation
In an industry powered by four million hands—most of them female—Bangladesh’s garment sector stitches global fashion with bargain-basement wages, safety strides, and a productivity patchwork still trailing the Chinese juggernaut by a wide seam.
Export Performance
- The textile and garment sector contributes 84% of Bangladesh's total exports
- In fiscal year 2022-23, Bangladesh's RMG exports reached USD 46.99 billion
- Knitwear exports totaled USD 23.21 billion in FY 2022-23
- Woven garments accounted for USD 23.78 billion in exports in FY 2022-23
- Bangladesh aims to achieve USD 100 billion in garment exports by 2030
- Green factories in Bangladesh account for over 10% of total RMG exports
- The USA is the largest single-country market for Bangladesh apparel, receiving over USD 10 billion in 2022
- Exports to the EU accounted for 50.4% of Bangladesh’s total RMG exports in FY 2022-23
- Bangladesh’s RMG exports to Canada crossed USD 1.55 billion in 2022
- Bangladesh exported USD 3.9 billion worth of denim products in 2022
- Bangladesh is the second-largest denim exporter to the EU and US markets
- Average lead time for Bangladeshi apparel exports is 90-120 days
- The modal share of port dependency for garment export is 90% via Chattogram Port
- Bangladesh's garment factories suffered export order losses of USD 3.18 billion in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Bangladesh’s garment sector recovered by growing 13.82% in FY 2021-22 compared to the pandemic period
- Approximately 80% of RMG exports are from medium to large enterprises
- Bangladesh's textile exports to India crossed USD 1.2 billion in 2022
- Over 90% of textiles exported are from cotton-based garments
- The Bangladesh government provides 4% cash incentive on RMG exports to new markets
- Nearly 75% of garments exported from Bangladesh include value-added design elements
- Nearly 50% of textiles exported to the EU receive duty-free access under EBA scheme
- Bangladesh’s apparel exports to non-traditional markets like Japan and Russia totaled USD 6.5 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Bangladesh’s garment industry is not just stitching shirts—it’s sewing the very fabric of the nation's economy, threading ambition, resilience, and global reach into a $47 billion export powerhouse aiming to double by 2030 while staying fashionably green.
Global Market Presence
- Bangladesh is the second-largest apparel exporter in the world after China
- Bangladesh exported garments to over 160 countries in 2023
- Germany is the largest EU market, importing USD 6.39 billion worth of garments in 2022
- The UK is the third-largest export destination, with over USD 4 billion in imports
- Bangladesh is the second-largest cotton importer in the world
- Bangladesh imported USD 4.6 billion worth of cotton in FY 2022–23
- More than 20 major global retailers source their products from Bangladesh including H&M, Zara, and Walmart
- Appearances of Bangladesh-made garments in global fashion shows rose 17% between 2021–2023
Interpretation
From Milan runways to Walmart aisles, Bangladesh has stitched its way into the global fashion fabric—powered by billions in cotton imports, a top-tier export game, and a production line that now dresses over 160 countries with serious sartorial clout.
Production and Manufacturing
- Bangladesh has over 4,000 garment factories as of 2023
- Bangladesh has more than 180 LEED-certified garment factories, the highest in the world
- The top LEED Platinum-certified factory in the world is located in Bangladesh
- There are more than 500 textile and apparel companies listed with the BTMA (Bangladesh Textile Mills Association)
- Local textile production meets approximately 85% of the fabric requirement for knitwear
- Local spinning mills meet about 40% of woven fabric demand
- Bangladesh's textile industry consumes about 1.65 billion kg of cotton annually
- Around 2,500 spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing units operate in Bangladesh
- Over 400 Bangladeshi factories have participated in Accord and Alliance safety programs
- Completion rate of factory safety remediation under the RMG Sustainability Council exceeds 90%
- Bangladesh has 73 factories producing personal protective equipment (PPE) as of 2023
- Dyeing and finishing stages of production are responsible for over 60% of water use in textiles
- Bangladesh uses between 1,500 to 2,000 liters of water per kg of fabric dyeing
- Textile industries in Bangladesh generate approximately 250 million liters of wastewater daily
- Over 100 factories in Bangladesh have effluent treatment plants (ETPs)
- More than 1,000 factories reported temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic first wave
- Chemical processing in textiles is estimated to be responsible for 20% of industrial water pollution in Bangladesh
- Bangladesh's textile dye imports reached USD 650 million in 2022
- There are over 800 members in the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA)
- Bangladesh ranks 133rd in the Global Innovation Index 2023, affecting textile sector modernization
- Nearly 25% of orders are now placed via digital platforms in Bangladesh’s garment sector
- About 40% of factories have adopted automated sewing lines
- The average energy cost in the garment sector is 6-7% of total manufacturing expense
- Around 25% of factories outsource parts of garment production to subcontractors
- Bangladesh has introduced 5 dedicated industrial parks for textiles development
- The average time to receive L/C for textile machinery imports is 4-8 weeks
- About 35% of garment orders in Bangladesh now require compliance with LWG or OEKO-TEX certifications
- 65% of Bangladeshi factories use imported synthetic fibers for winter collections
- Yarn manufacturing capacity in Bangladesh exceeded 2.5 million metric tons per year in 2023
Interpretation
In a country where over 4,000 garment factories stitch together global fashion, Bangladesh’s textile industry stands as a paradox of planet-leading sustainability accolades and innovation ambitions, grappling with water-intensive practices, modernization gaps, and a delicate balance between eco-conscious progress and production pressure.