Fast Fashion Industry Statistics

The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions [1]

Global textile production generates 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually [2]

The textile industry is responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products [2]

Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions [2]

The textile industry used 79 billion cubic metres of water in 2015 [2]

The clothing, footwear and household textiles consumption of EU households required 1.3 tonnes of raw materials per person in 2020 [3]

The clothing, footwear and household textiles consumption of EU households used 104 cubic metres of water per person in 2020 [3]

The clothing, footwear and household textiles consumption of EU households generated 270 kg of carbon emissions per person in 2020 [3]

The clothing, footwear and household textiles consumption of EU households used 9 square metres of land per person in 2020 [3]

The clothing, footwear and household textiles consumption of EU households used 391 kg of raw materials per person in 2020 [3]

The global fashion industry consumed 93 billion cubic metres of water annually [1]

The fashion industry could use more than a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050 if current trends continue [1]

Washing some synthetic textiles accounts for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment [1]

Half a million tons of plastic microfibres are released into the ocean each year from washing textiles [1]

The equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles enter the ocean annually from washing textiles [1]

The fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water [1]

It takes about 7,500 litres of water to make one pair of jeans [1]

It takes about 3,781 litres of water to make one pair of jeans according to European Parliament data [2]

It takes about 2,700 litres of water to produce one cotton T-shirt [2]

Buying one white cotton shirt can require 2,700 litres of water [1]

The global fashion industry emits 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions [4]

The fashion industry emitted about 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2018 [4]

More than 70% of fashion industry emissions come from upstream activities such as materials production, preparation and processing [4]

Tier 2 material production accounts for 38% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

Tier 1 processing accounts for 14% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

Packaging accounts for 5% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

Transport accounts for 3% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

Retail operations account for 7% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

Consumer use accounts for 20% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

To align with a 1.5-degree pathway, the fashion industry must reduce emissions by 1.1 billion tons by 2030 [4]

The fashion industry needs to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement [4]

More than 500,000 tons of microfibers from washing clothes are released into the ocean each year [5]

Fashion accounts for 20% of wastewater worldwide [5]

The fashion industry accounts for 10% of annual global carbon emissions [5]

Fashion uses around 93 billion cubic metres of water annually [5]

Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally [5]

Europe’s textile consumption had on average the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate from a global life cycle perspective [3]

In 2021, EU textile consumption generated 121 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions [3]

In 2021, EU textile consumption required 5.2 million tonnes of materials [3]

In 2021, EU textile consumption used 12.4 billion cubic metres of water [3]

In 2021, EU textile consumption used 266,000 square kilometres of land [3]

80% of emissions from the fashion industry come from material production, preparation, and processing [6]

Garment workers in Bangladesh often earn about $95 a month [5]

The Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,134 people in 2013 [7]

More than 2,500 people were injured in the Rana Plaza collapse [7]

Bangladesh’s garment industry employs around 4 million workers [8]

80% of Bangladesh garment workers are women [8]

1 in 2 women garment workers in Bangladesh report experiencing some form of gender-based violence [8]

About 75 million people work in the global textile, clothing and footwear industry [9]

Women make up the majority of the 75 million workers in the global garment industry [9]

Only 2% of garment workers worldwide earn a living wage [10]

93% of brands surveyed are not paying garment workers a living wage [11]

The legal minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh increased to 8,000 taka per month in 2018 [12]

The previous minimum wage for Bangladesh garment workers was 5,300 taka per month [12]

The new Bangladesh garment minimum wage represented a 51% increase [12]

Bangladesh garment workers demanded a monthly minimum wage of 16,000 taka [12]

The apparel sector in Cambodia employs around 750,000 workers [13]

Women account for about 80% of Cambodia’s garment workforce [13]

About 60 million people are employed in the clothing and textile industry worldwide according to UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion [1]

80% of apparel is made by young women between the ages of 18 and 24 [1]

The median hourly wage for U.S. sewing machine operators was $15.34 in May 2023 [14]

There were 86,830 sewing machine operators employed in the United States in May 2023 [14]

The mean annual wage for U.S. sewing machine operators was $34,970 in May 2023 [14]

The lowest 10% of U.S. sewing machine operators earned less than $24,760 annually in May 2023 [14]

The highest 10% of U.S. sewing machine operators earned more than $46,620 annually in May 2023 [14]

The circular economy in fashion could represent 23 million jobs globally by 2030 [15]

The global apparel market was valued at $1.53 trillion in 2022 [16]

The global apparel market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2023 to 2030 [16]

The fast fashion market was valued at $106.42 billion in 2022 [17]

The fast fashion market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.74% from 2023 to 2030 [17]

The women’s segment accounted for over 60% of fast fashion revenue in 2022 [17]

The offline distribution channel accounted for over 60% of fast fashion revenue in 2022 [17]

Asia Pacific accounted for over 30% of fast fashion market revenue in 2022 [17]

The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2027 [18]

The global secondhand apparel market is expected to nearly double by 2027 [18]

The U.S. secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $70 billion by 2027 [18]

Online resale is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23% through 2027 [18]

Resale is expected to grow 9 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector by 2027 [18]

52% of consumers shopped for apparel secondhand in 2022 [18]

59% of consumers say inflation has pushed them to seek more affordable apparel options [18]

49% of retailers say resale is a top priority in 2023 [18]

The global fast fashion market is projected to reach $184.96 billion by 2027 [19]

The global fast fashion market grew from $91.23 billion in 2022 to $99.23 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 8.8% [19]

The global fast fashion market is expected to grow to $133.43 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 7.7% [20]

The garment industry in Bangladesh represents 84% of the country’s exports [8]

The ready-made garment sector contributes about 11% to Bangladesh’s GDP [8]

The garment, footwear and travel goods sector accounts for around 16% of Cambodia’s GDP [13]

The garment, footwear and travel goods sector contributes about 80% of Cambodia’s total exports [13]

The United States exports nearly 700 million dollars worth of used clothing each year [21]

The average cost of a garment has fallen from $200 in 1900 to about $19.33 in 2023 dollars [22]

The clothing price index has risen only 8.5% since 1993 [22]

The overall U.S. consumer price index has risen 100.5% since 1993 [22]

The global fashion market is expected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2023 [23]

The global online fashion market reached about $759.5 billion in 2021 [24]

Revenue in the global apparel market is projected to reach $1.79 trillion in 2024 [25]

China generated approximately $369.6 billion in apparel market revenue in 2024 [26]

The United States generated approximately $358.7 billion in apparel market revenue in 2024 [27]

The fast fashion segment’s annual growth rate is expected to be 8.3% from 2024 to 2028 [28]

Revenue in the worldwide fast fashion market is projected to reach $150.82 billion in 2024 [28]

The average revenue per user in the worldwide fast fashion market is projected to be $19.15 in 2024 [28]

The number of users in the worldwide fast fashion market is projected to reach 3.9 billion by 2028 [28]

User penetration in the worldwide fast fashion market is projected to be 42.7% in 2024 [28]

In 2022, global textile and apparel exports were valued at $876 billion [29]

In 2022, textiles exports totaled $353 billion globally [29]

In 2022, clothing exports totaled $523 billion globally [29]

China accounted for 31.7% of world textiles exports in 2022 [29]

China accounted for 31.6% of world clothing exports in 2022 [29]

The European Union accounted for 23.0% of world textiles exports in 2022 [29]

The European Union accounted for 25.6% of world clothing exports in 2022 [29]

Bangladesh accounted for 7.9% of world clothing exports in 2022 [29]

Vietnam accounted for 6.1% of world clothing exports in 2022 [29]

The United States accounted for 14.8% of world clothing imports in 2022 [29]

The European Union accounted for 25.8% of world clothing imports in 2022 [29]

Around $500 billion of value is lost every year due to clothing underutilization and lack of recycling [30]

More than $460 billion of opportunity is expected in circular fashion by 2030 [15]

Consumers missed out on $460 billion of value each year by throwing away clothes they could continue to wear [15]

67% of fashion executives cite inflation and economic uncertainty as top concerns in 2024 [31]

73% of fashion executives expect conditions in the industry to improve in 2024 [31]

80% of fashion executives expect consumers to trade down in 2024 [31]

63% of brands plan to increase prices in 2024 [31]

54% of fashion executives identify supply chain disruption as a top risk in 2024 [31]

47% of fashion executives cite sustainability regulations as a top-three risk in 2024 [31]

Clothing production approximately doubled between 2000 and 2014 [30]

The number of times a garment is worn before it ceases to be used has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago [30]

The average consumer bought 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000 [30]

Global apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63% by 2030 [6]

Apparel consumption could increase from 62 million tonnes today to 102 million tonnes in 2030 [6]

More than 100 billion garments are produced annually [6]

H&M produced approximately 3 billion garments in 2019 [5]

Zara launches about 24 collections each year [5]

Fast fashion brands can move a design from catwalk to store in as little as 15 days [5]

Zara can design, produce, and distribute a new garment in 15 days [22]

H&M and Zara together produce over 8 billion garments per year [22]

Shein adds between 2,000 and 10,000 new items to its website daily [22]

In the U.S., the average person buys 53 new items of clothing a year [22]

The average garment is worn only 7 to 10 times before being thrown away [22]

The global apparel market volume is expected to amount to 188.3 billion pieces by 2028 [25]

The average volume per person in the apparel market is projected to amount to 23.9 pieces in 2024 [25]

The average volume per person in the fast fashion market is projected to be 5.2 pieces in 2024 [28]

The fast fashion market volume is expected to amount to 50.1 billion pieces by 2028 [28]

Synthetic fibers represented about 64% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Global fiber production reached an all-time high of 116 million tonnes in 2022 [32]

Polyester accounted for 54% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Fiber production is expected to rise to 147 million tonnes by 2030 if business as usual continues [32]

The global market share of virgin fossil-based synthetic fibers was 61% in 2022 [32]

Cotton represented 20% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Man-made cellulosic fibers represented 6% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Nylon represented 5% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Wool represented 1% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Down represented 0.3% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Silk represented 0.1% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

Clothing utilization has declined by 36% compared to the average number of times a garment was worn 15 years ago [30]

65% of consumers say they plan to buy more durable fashion items [31]

71% of Gen Z consumers say they consider sustainability when making fashion purchases [31]

Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned [30]

Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing [30]

EU citizens buy nearly 26 kg of textiles and discard about 11 kg of textiles per person each year [2]

Only 1% of used clothes are recycled into new clothes in a closed-loop recycling system [2]

The average American throws away about 81.5 pounds of clothes each year [33]

In 2018, 17 million tons of textile municipal solid waste were generated in the United States [33]

In 2018, textiles accounted for 5.8% of total municipal solid waste generation in the United States [33]

In 2018, the recycling rate for textiles in the United States was 14.7% [33]

In 2018, 11.3 million tons of textiles were landfilled in the United States [33]

In 2018, 3.2 million tons of textiles were combusted with energy recovery in the United States [33]

In 2018, 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in the United States [33]

Globally, less than half of discarded clothing is collected for reuse or recycling [4]

Of the clothing collected for reuse or recycling, only 1% is recycled into new clothing [4]

End-of-use accounts for 3% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions [4]

Around 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year [5]

In 2017, 13.6 million tons of textile waste were landfilled in the United States [21]

Americans generated 16.9 million tons of textile municipal solid waste in 2017 [21]

The textile recycling rate in the United States was 15.2% in 2017 [21]

Approximately 95% of all used textiles can be recycled or repurposed [21]

An average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles each year [21]

Recycled fibers represented only 7.9% of global fiber production in 2022 [32]

In 2021, about 6.95 million tonnes of textile waste were generated in the EU [3]

In 2021, the EU generated around 16 kg of textile waste per person [3]

In 2021, 85% of all household textile waste in the EU was not separately collected [3]

In 2021, only 15% of household textile waste in the EU was separately collected for reuse and recycling [3]

12% of fibers used for clothing are recycled materials [30]

73% of clothing ends up in landfill or incineration [30]

2% of textile waste is recycled into products with the same or similar function [30]

12% of textile waste is downcycled into lower-value applications such as insulation or wiping cloths [30]

Less than 1% of clothing is recycled back into clothing globally [15]

Around 87% of total fiber input used for clothing is landfilled or incinerated [30]

Only 13% of total fiber input is recycled in some way after clothing use [30]

The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles aims that by 2030 textile products placed on the EU market should be long-lived and recyclable [34]