Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Global cotton production reached approximately 25 million metric tons in the 2022/2023 season
India was the top cotton-producing country in 2022/2023, producing around 5.62 million metric tons
The United States produced about 3.2 million metric tons of cotton in 2022/2023
China ranked third in cotton production with around 2.75 million metric tons in 2022/2023
Global cotton mill use totaled around 23.5 million metric tons in 2022/2023
The cotton market was valued at approximately $38.5 billion in 2023
The global organic cotton market is projected to reach $6.73 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 40.0%
The U.S. exports about 80% of its cotton production
Texas produced over 6.5 million bales of cotton in 2021, the highest among U.S. states
China is the largest consumer of cotton, using around 8.4 million metric tons in 2022/2023
India is the second-largest consumer of cotton, at roughly 5.8 million metric tons per year
About 90% of cotton farmers worldwide farm on less than two hectares of land
Cotton is grown in more than 70 countries around the world
Consumption and Usage
- Global cotton mill use totaled around 23.5 million metric tons in 2022/2023
- China is the largest consumer of cotton, using around 8.4 million metric tons in 2022/2023
- India is the second-largest consumer of cotton, at roughly 5.8 million metric tons per year
- Cotton farming uses 3% of the world’s agricultural water resources
- The U.S. textile industry consumes about 3.6 million bales of cotton annually
- More than 250 million people worldwide depend on cotton for their livelihoods
- The average American throws away 37 kg of textiles yearly, much of it cotton-based
- More than 60% of women’s clothing contains cotton
- Cotton fiber makes up about 40% of global textile fiber consumption
- China uses about 34% of its cotton domestically
- Cotton is the most significant single natural fiber used in apparel manufacture globally
- Cotton-based textiles make up about 39% of the global fashion fiber mix
- Global cotton demand is projected to reach over 124 million bales in 2023/2024
- The average lifespan of cotton clothing is 2–3 years with regular use
- Cotton oil, derived from cottonseed, is the third most consumed vegetable oil in the U.S.
Interpretation
From fields to fast fashion, cotton is the thirsty, globe-trotting fiber that clothes billions, fuels livelihoods, fills landfills—and proves that what we wear is anything but a lightweight decision.
Environmental and Recycling
- Cotton accounts for 2.5% of the world’s arable land, but is responsible for 16% of all insecticides used
- About 75% of global cotton is grown using irrigation
- Uzbekistan has reduced cotton water use by 30% over the last decade
- Over 25% of textile waste is made up of cotton-based products
- Up to 40% of cotton fiber from fields is wasted in ginning and processing
- More than 20% of global cotton production uses sustainable practices today
- Cotton can be recycled to create regenerated fibers such as viscose
- Cotton's life cycle emissions are estimated at 5.9 kg CO2e per kilogram of fiber
Interpretation
Though it dresses the world in comfort, cotton’s tangled thread of pesticides, thirsty fields, and textile waste reveals an industry where fashion often comes at the cost of sustainability—though greener practices and smarter recycling suggest the fabric’s future may yet be responsibly rewoven.
Market and Trade
- The cotton market was valued at approximately $38.5 billion in 2023
- The global organic cotton market is projected to reach $6.73 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 40.0%
- The U.S. exports about 80% of its cotton production
- Bangladesh imported over 8.1 million bales of cotton in 2022
- Cotton provides income to over 100 million households in rural areas
- In 2023, the U.S. cotton export value exceeded $7 billion
- Australia exported over 4 million bales of cotton in the 2021/22 season
- The cotton industry contributes approximately $100 billion annually to the U.S. economy
- In 2020, the price of cotton fell to 48 cents/lb due to global demand collapse
- Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso have economies heavily dependent on cotton exports
- Cotton contributes around $2 billion per year to the economies of West Africa
- Cotton exports make up over 10% of agricultural export value in the U.S.
- Cotton processing in Africa captures less than 5% of the total cotton value chain
- Cotton prices averaged 82.3 U.S. cents per pound globally in 2022
- The largest buyers of U.S. cotton in 2022 were China, Vietnam, and Pakistan
- Cotton prices can fluctuate by over 30% annually due to weather and market volatility
- The global cotton textile recycling market is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2030
Interpretation
Beneath the soft touch of your T-shirt lies a $100 billion global industry that threads economic lifelines from Texas to Bangladesh, but while organic cotton and recycling spin a greener future, much of Africa still gets paid pennies on the dollar in a market as volatile as the weather.
Product Applications and By-products
- Cotton seed is a byproduct rich in oil and is used in livestock feed
- Cotton is used in over 70 types of consumer products, including textiles and medical supplies
- Cotton paper is more durable and used in legal and archival documents
Interpretation
From feeding cows to preserving constitutions, the cotton industry proves it's not just about T-shirts—it's the thread running through everything from farm to forever.
Production
- Global cotton production reached approximately 25 million metric tons in the 2022/2023 season
- India was the top cotton-producing country in 2022/2023, producing around 5.62 million metric tons
- The United States produced about 3.2 million metric tons of cotton in 2022/2023
- China ranked third in cotton production with around 2.75 million metric tons in 2022/2023
- Texas produced over 6.5 million bales of cotton in 2021, the highest among U.S. states
- About 90% of cotton farmers worldwide farm on less than two hectares of land
- Cotton is grown in more than 70 countries around the world
- Nearly 350 million people are involved in cotton production and processing globally
- In 2020, around 24 million metric tons of cotton lint were produced globally
- One cotton T-shirt requires about 2,700 liters of water to produce
- Organic cotton represents less than 1.5% of total cotton production
- Global cotton yield averages about 770 kilograms per hectare
- In 2022/2023, about 120 million bales of cotton were produced globally
- The Better Cotton Initiative supported over 2.2 million farmers in 23 countries in 2021
- Upland cotton accounts for about 97% of U.S. cotton production
- Egypt is well-known for its extra-long staple cotton, known as Egyptian cotton
- India has around 8 million cotton farmers
- Pakistan is the fourth-largest producer of cotton, with about 1.5 million metric tons in 2023
- The spinning sector of cotton contributes 70% of the total production cost
- Rain-fed cotton production is more susceptible to climate change impacts
- The average cotton yield in the U.S. was 947 pounds per acre in 2022
- Brazil ranks fifth in cotton production globally
- Each acre of cotton can produce enough fiber for 1,217 men's T-shirts
- The U.S. has over 16,000 cotton farms
- Genetically modified cotton makes up over 80% of the cotton grown globally
- About 2 billion T-shirts made each year contain cotton
- Machine picking now accounts for over 95% of cotton harvesting in the U.S.
- U.S. cotton supports over 125,000 jobs across the supply chain
- Uzbekistan banned forced labor in cotton fields in 2021
- Hand-picking of cotton remains common in India and Pakistan
- The U.S. cotton industry includes more than 200 gins
- Better Cotton accounted for 22% of global cotton production in 2021/22
Interpretation
Despite growing on small plots and soaking up serious water, cotton—now machine-harvested, GMO-dominant, and globally worn—threads together the livelihoods of millions across over 70 countries, proving it’s still the fabric of more than just our shirts.