Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fast fashion market was valued at approximately $91 billion in 2021
The global fast fashion market is projected to reach $133.43 billion by 2026
In 2020, the U.S. fast fashion market was worth $31.4 billion
Fast fashion is growing at a CAGR of 8.8% globally from 2021 to 2026
In the UK, fast fashion makes up over 10% of all retail sales
Zara releases around 24 collections each year, compared to the industry average of 2-4
Consumers purchased 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000 but kept garments for half as long
The average American tosses away around 82 pounds of textiles each year
The global apparel market is forecast to grow to $3.3 trillion by 2030, with fast fashion as a leading segment
It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt
China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of fast fashion
Nearly 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fast fashion industry
The average number of times a garment is worn dropped by 36% between 2000 and 2015
Consumer Behavior and Consumption Patterns
- In the UK, fast fashion makes up over 10% of all retail sales
- Consumers purchased 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000 but kept garments for half as long
- The average number of times a garment is worn dropped by 36% between 2000 and 2015
- The average garment is worn only 7 times before being discarded
- The average consumer bought 68 garments a year in 2018, up from 50 in 2000
- The average UK shopper buys 60 garments a year
Interpretation
In the UK’s fast fashion frenzy, wardrobes grow heavier while garments grow fleeting, as shoppers chase fleeting trends—buying more, wearing less, and tossing faster in a cycle that’s stylishly unsustainable.
Corporate Data and Industry Players
- In 2019, H&M had $4.3 billion of unsold inventory
- Shein's revenue topped $22.7 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Fast fashion’s dizzying growth reveals a paradox where companies like Shein rake in billions while giants like H&M drown in unsold clothes—a stylish sprint toward unsustainable excess.
Environmental Impact
- The average American tosses away around 82 pounds of textiles each year
- It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt
- Nearly 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fast fashion industry
- 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year
- The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions
- Almost 60% of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year
- Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
- Fast fashion contributes to 35% of microplastics in the ocean due to synthetic fibers
- Over 300 million barrels of oil are used every year to produce synthetic textiles
- Polyester, the most used textile fiber, takes over 200 years to decompose
- In the EU, an estimated 11 kg of textiles per person are discarded every year
- Only 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments
- The fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
Interpretation
Fast fashion may keep closets full and prices low, but beneath the bargain lies a brutal truth: we're drenching the planet in wastewater, drowning it in microplastics, and burying it under mountains of barely-worn clothes—all to chase trends that last less than a season.
Market Size and Growth
- The fast fashion market was valued at approximately $91 billion in 2021
- The global fast fashion market is projected to reach $133.43 billion by 2026
- In 2020, the U.S. fast fashion market was worth $31.4 billion
- Fast fashion is growing at a CAGR of 8.8% globally from 2021 to 2026
- The global apparel market is forecast to grow to $3.3 trillion by 2030, with fast fashion as a leading segment
- The global resale clothing market is expected to double from $36 billion in 2021 to $77 billion by 2025, partially in response to fast fashion's environmental impact
Interpretation
While the fast fashion industry sprints toward a $133 billion payday fueled by our appetite for cheap trends, its runaway growth is being chased by a doubling resale market—proof that for every fast fashion fix, there's a growing conscience trying to clean up the catwalk.
Production and Supply Chain
- Zara releases around 24 collections each year, compared to the industry average of 2-4
- China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of fast fashion
- Fast fashion production doubled between 2000 and 2014
- Fast fashion companies like H&M and Zara add thousands of new styles to their websites each year
- Online fast fashion retailer Shein uploads up to 6,000 new items to its platform per day
- Garment production doubled between 2000 and 2015
- H&M produced 3 billion garments in 2018
- Workers in Bangladesh's fast fashion factories earn as little as $96/month
Interpretation
Fast fashion churns out clothes faster than we can blink, pollutes more than we care to see, and pays workers less than the price of a pair of its own jeans—proving that style can come cheap, but ethics shouldn’t.