Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Roughly 93% of brands surveyed by the Fashion Checker aren’t paying garment workers a living wage
Approximately 80% of garment workers are women, many of whom are underpaid and exploited
In 2021, the minimum wage in Bangladesh was about $95 a month, less than half the estimated living wage
Up to 60 million people work in the garment industry globally, many under poor conditions
Workers in Ethiopian garment factories earn as little as $26 a month, some of the lowest worldwide
Over 85% of factory workers in Bangladesh report experiencing verbal abuse
Only 1% of fashion workers worldwide are paid a living wage
Around 25% of Bangladeshi garment workers reported being forced to work overtime in 2020
More than 50% of garment workers in Cambodia experienced sexual harassment in the workplace
71% of fast fashion brands fail to disclose worker wages across their supply chains
In Myanmar, garment factory workers earned as little as $2 per day in 2022
It’s estimated that less than 2% of the cost of a clothing item goes to the garment worker who made it
91% of fashion brands do not have full knowledge of where their garments are made
Forced and Child Labor
- Child labor is prevalent in the cotton industry, particularly in countries like Uzbekistan and India
- 39% of fashion brands say they don’t have systems to identify forced labor in their supply chains
- Uzbek cotton was historically linked to forced labor of over 1 million citizens during harvest season
- Garment workers in Jordan’s Qualified Industrial Zones are often subjected to forced labor practices
Interpretation
Behind the runway glitz and $10 tees lies a harsh reality: fashion’s global supply chain still threads its profits through the small hands and forced labor of millions, while nearly 40% of brands haven’t even bothered to check.
Labor Demographics and Employment
- Approximately 80% of garment workers are women, many of whom are underpaid and exploited
- Up to 60 million people work in the garment industry globally, many under poor conditions
- Nearly 1 in 6 workers globally are employed in the fashion supply chain
- In 2023, over 200,000 Sri Lankan garment workers were at risk of job loss due to economic collapse
- Garment industry is second only to agriculture in terms of employment for women in the developing world
Interpretation
Behind fast fashion’s flashy storefronts lies a global workforce—mostly women—stitching seams of survival under threads of exploitation, in an industry that outsources both labor and accountability.
Transparency and Corporate Accountability
- 71% of fast fashion brands fail to disclose worker wages across their supply chains
- 91% of fashion brands do not have full knowledge of where their garments are made
- Only 40% of top fashion brands publish a list of the factories they use
Interpretation
When it comes to fast fashion, brands seem to know more about seasonal colors than the hands that stitch their profits together—assuming they’re even checking.
Wages and Economic Inequality
- Roughly 93% of brands surveyed by the Fashion Checker aren’t paying garment workers a living wage
- In 2021, the minimum wage in Bangladesh was about $95 a month, less than half the estimated living wage
- Workers in Ethiopian garment factories earn as little as $26 a month, some of the lowest worldwide
- Only 1% of fashion workers worldwide are paid a living wage
- In Myanmar, garment factory workers earned as little as $2 per day in 2022
- It’s estimated that less than 2% of the cost of a clothing item goes to the garment worker who made it
- In Los Angeles, over 85% of garment workers experience wage theft, often making less than $5/hour
- Workers in Leicester, UK were found to be paid as little as £3.50 per hour
- In Pakistan, garment workers earn only 25% of what's considered a living wage
- 90% of brands are not paying living wages to their supply chain workers
- Garment workers in Vietnam can earn as little as $100/month, well below a living wage
- Cambodian garment workers earn around $190/month, far below living wage estimates of $400/month
- Garment workers in India often don’t receive legally mandated minimum wages
- Garment workers in Indonesia earn wages as low as $111/month while the living wage is nearly $400/month
- About 8,000 garment factories operate in Bangladesh, with 4 million workers, largely underpaid
- Garment Workers in Honduras earn less than $2/hour, lower than national basic cost of living
Interpretation
In the glittering world of fast fashion, it turns out runway-ready styles come stitched with poverty pay, where a $5 T-shirt hides the price of global wage theft—because 99% of garment workers are paid less than what it takes to actually live.
Worker Conditions and Rights
- Over 85% of factory workers in Bangladesh report experiencing verbal abuse
- Around 25% of Bangladeshi garment workers reported being forced to work overtime in 2020
- More than 50% of garment workers in Cambodia experienced sexual harassment in the workplace
- Female garment workers are 3 times more likely to be victims of harassment than those in other sectors
- About 75 million people are involved in garment and textile production globally, many under exploitative conditions
- Some factory workers in India are forced to work 14-16 hour days, six to seven days per week
- Over 70% of garment workers in Asia fear losing their jobs if they speak up about violations
- Approximately 80% of female garment workers in Bangladesh face regular gender-based violence
- A 2021 survey found just 17% of brands have a policy to support unionization in their supply chain
- Turkey hosts over 250,000 Syrian refugee workers in textile shops, many without formal contracts
- 59% of factories in Bangladesh don’t allow union activities, despite legal protections
- 75% of surveyed female garment workers in Lesotho experienced gender-based violence on the job
- Bangladesh garment sector has experienced over 1,100 deaths due to factory fires and collapses since 2012
- More than 50% of garment workers don’t receive legally mandated overtime pay
- Only 5% of audited factories around the world have adequate fire and structural safety measures
Interpretation
Behind the cheap fashion lining our closets lies a global assembly line built on fear, abuse, and exploitation—where workers stitch garments under sweat, silence, and systemic violence, so consumers can pay less and brands can profit more.