Fur Industry Statistics

The global fur trade was valued at roughly $22 billion in 2019 according to industry figures

Between 2011 and 2020, the value of US mink production dropped by over 80 percent

The auction house North American Fur Auctions (NAFA) filed for creditor protection in 2019 due to market decline

Danish fur exports fell from €1.1 billion in 2013 to significantly lower levels following the 2020 cull

The price of a mink pelt dropped from roughly $90 in 2013 to under $30 in 2019, making farming unprofitable for many

Kopenhagen Fur, the world’s largest fur auction house, announced it would close by 2023 due to loss of production volume

Fur exports from the EU to Russia declined by 50 percent following 2014 sanctions and changing oil prices

The UK fur trade claims to generate roughly £200 million annually despite the farming ban

Canadian fur pelt exports were valued at $320 million in 2014 but dropped to around $175 million by 2019

LVMH and Kering bans on fur have shifted millions of dollars in luxury spending to alternative materials

China consumes approximately 80 percent of the world’s fur products, driving the primary demand for pelts

The economic output of the US fur industry supports fewer than 3,000 direct full-time jobs in farming as of recent estimates

In 2020, Poland's fur sector exports were valued at approximately 280 million Euros

Saga Furs in Finland reported a loss of nearly 10 million Euros in the 2019/2020 financial year

Retail sales of real fur in US department stores have dropped significantly as major retailers like Macy's stopped sales

Since 2015, the average price of fox skins at auction has decreased by roughly 30 percent

Italy's fur industry revenue decreased by over 40 percent between 2015 and 2020

The closure of mink farms in the Netherlands involved a government compensation scheme of roughly 180 million Euros

Imports of fur articles into the United States fell to nearly $130 million in 2021 from much higher historical figures

The global luxury faux fur market size is expected to reach $208 million by 2025 due to shifts away from real fur revenue

Producing 1 kg of mink fur has a climate change impact 5 times higher than the highest-impact textile (wool)

The carbon footprint of one mink fur coat is estimated to be 110 kg of CO2 equivalent

Fur dressing and dyeing often utilizes formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, which has been found in fur trims on children's jackets

Runoff from fur farms contains high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, leading to eutrophication in local waterways

A study found that the environmental impact of mink fur is at least 3 times higher than faux fur regarding ecosystem damage

American mink introduced for fur farming have become invasive species in Europe, destroying local biodiversity

Chromium and other heavy metals are frequently used in the tanning process to prevent fur from rotting

Processing fur requires 15 times more energy than processing synthetic fur materials

A German study found high levels of ethoxylates and azo dyes in fur products, which are restricted environmentally

The incineration of thousands of tons of mink carcasses in Denmark raised concerns about local air quality and groundwater

Fur farming in Finland contributes significantly to ammonia emissions which lead to soil acidification

One kg of mink fur requires the consumption of 563 kg of feed, intensifying the agricultural carbon footprint

The water footprint of fur production is heavily impacted by the irrigation required for the feed animals consume

Fur dressing discharges pollutants including salts and oils that have a high biological oxygen demand (BOD) in water systems

Soil samples near fur farms have been found to contain elevated levels of zinc and copper from animal excrement

Escaped raccoon dogs from fur farms are a vector for rabies and parasites affecting native wildlife

Air pollution from fur farm manure management includes hydrogen sulfide and methane emissions

Tests in Italy found toxic residues in fur products including nonylphenol ethoxylates

The biodiversity impact of "feed fish" extraction for fur animals contributes to the depletion of marine stocks

Cold storage for fur garments requires continuous energy expenditure throughout the garment's lifecycle, adding to its footprint

Approximately 85 percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals raised in battery cages on fur farms

More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide

China is the world’s largest fur producer for foxes and raccoon dogs

Prior to 2020, Denmark was the world's largest producer of mink skins producing approximately 17 million pelts annually

To make one fur coat, it takes the skins of approximately 150 to 300 chinchillas

Approximately 60 mink are killed to produce one average-length fur coat

In 2022, the United States produced approximately 1.33 million mink pelts, down 15 percent from the previous year

Poland is the second-largest fur producer in Europe after Finland, farming millions of animals

Roughly 1 billion rabbits are slaughtered annually for fur and meat combined

Finland produces nearly 100 percent of the blue fox fur sold globally

In 2014, the global production of mink skins peaked at approximately 87 million pelts before declining

Roughly half of all fur farmed in the United States comes from Wisconsin, causing it to be the top producing state

China breeds approximately 12 million foxes annually for the fur trade

Over 90 percent of foxes raised on fur farms are kept in wire mesh cages their entire lives

Canada harvests over 700,000 wild animals for fur annually in addition to farming

Raccoon dogs are bred in numbers exceeding 10 million per year in China alone

There are approximately 2,500 fur farms remaining in the European Union as of recent counts

Bobcat trapping for fur exports accounts for approximately 50,000 animals annually in North America

Mink are slaughtered at approximately 6 to 8 months of age for their accumulated winter coat

Seal hunting in Canada has a quota that often allows for over 400,000 harp seals to be killed

As of 2023, 20 European countries have voted to ban fur farming

California became the first US state to ban the sale of new fur products, effective in 2023

Israel became the first country to ban the sale of fur for fashion purposes in 2021

The United Kingdom banned fur farming in 2000, yet still allows the import of fur products

Typical cages for mink provide less than 0.3 square meters of floor space per animal

Stereotypical behavior, such as pacing and circling, is observed in a high percentage of farmed mink due to confinement

In 2020, COVID-19 mutations (Cluster 5) were found in mink on Danish farms, leading to a mass cull of roughly 17 million animals

Wellesley, Massachusetts, was the first US municipality to ban the sale of fur

A citizen's initiative to ban fur farming in the EU collected over 1.5 million valid signatures in 2023

Cannibalism and infanticide occur on fur farms, often linked to stress and close confinement

Foxes on fur farms are often denied the ability to dig, a fundamental natural instinct

The "WelFur" certification program has been criticized by NGOs for setting standards that do not exceed basic legal requirements

Wire flooring in cages causes foot deformities and injuries in a significant number of farmed rabbits

Estonia passed a ban on fur farming that comes into full effect by 2026

Ireland banned fur farming in 2022, closing the country's three remaining mink farms

Mortality rates for mink offspring (kits) on farms can reach 20 percent before pelting age

Electrocution is a common method of killing foxes to avoid damaging the pelt

Regulations in Finland require a shadow area for foxes but do not require access to the ground

São Paulo, Brazil, banned the import and sale of fur items in 2015

France introduced a ban on wild animal farming for fur which became effective immediately for new farms in 2021

Over 1,500 brands have joined the international "Fur Free Retailer" program

Gucci pledged to go fur-free starting with its Spring/Summer 2018 collection

London Fashion Week became the first major fashion week to go completely fur-free in 2018

Online luxury retailer Net-A-Porter stopped selling fur in 2017

Prada Group announced it would no longer use animal fur in its designs or products starting in 2020

Canada Goose committed to ending the purchase of new fur by 2021 and ending manufacturing with fur by 2022

Queen Elizabeth II officially stopped wearing new fur outfits in 2019, switching to faux fur

The global market demand for vegan women's fashion including faux fur is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.6 percent

Moncler announced it would phase out fur in all its collections by 2024

Macy's and Bloomingdale's ended the sale of fur at all their stores by the end of 2020

Elle magazine banned fur from all its editorial content across all 45 global editions in 2021

Versace stopped using fur in 2018, with Donatella Versace stating she didn't want to kill animals for fashion

Farfetch, a major luxury fashion platform, banned the sale of fur in 2019

Searches for "faux fur" increased by 150 percent on Lyst following major brand bans in 2018

Chanel announced it would stop using exotic skins and fur in 2018, focusing on research into textiles

Neiman Marcus Group committed to eliminating fur products from its inventory solely by 2023

Bio-based fur alternatives made from plant ingredients (like corn) are entering the luxury market as a sustainable trend

Dolce & Gabbana announced in 2022 that it would discontinue the use of fur and angora in all future collections

Rent the Runway, a fashion rental service, updated its policy to no longer rent out fur products

Saks Fifth Avenue committed to stopping the sale of products made using animal fur by early 2023