Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The global apparel market was valued at approximately $1.5 trillion in 2022
The global apparel market is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2027
Asia-Pacific holds the largest share of the global apparel market at over 38%
The United States apparel market was valued at around $343 billion in 2022
China is the largest exporter of apparel in the world
In 2021, Bangladesh exported $34 billion worth of garments
The European Union is the second-largest apparel importer globally
Fast fashion makes up about 10% of global carbon emissions
The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
Over 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry
The apparel industry employs over 75 million people worldwide
Around 60% of clothing material is synthetic like polyester
Polyester, used in clothing, accounts for 35% of microplastics in oceans
Consumer Behavior and Trends
- The average consumer buys 60% more clothing than 15 years ago
- Online channels account for 29% of global apparel sales
- Zara launches about 24 new clothing collections each year
- U.S. consumers discard 11.3 million tons of textiles annually
- The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing per year
- Apparel returns in the U.S. total over $100 billion annually
- Over 30% of clothes in consumer wardrobes have not been worn in at least a year
- The average garment is worn 7-10 times before disposal
- Fashion industry losses due to counterfeiting exceed $30 billion annually
- Denim accounts for 18% of casualwear in global fashion
- 60% of fashion consumers consider sustainability when buying clothing
- Over 50% of fast fashion items are discarded after less than 3 uses
Interpretation
In a world where consumers buy more clothes they barely wear, return them in droves, and toss out 81 pounds per person annually—all while claiming to care about sustainability—the fashion industry stitches a volatile patchwork of excess, irony, and environmental crisis.
Market Size and Growth
- The global apparel market was valued at approximately $1.5 trillion in 2022
- The global apparel market is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2027
- The United States apparel market was valued at around $343 billion in 2022
- The fashion resale market is projected to double to $77 billion by 2025
- The global jeans market is estimated at $64.5 billion in 2022
- E-commerce apparel sales in the U.S. reached $142 billion in 2022
- Women's apparel made up 53% of the global apparel market
- Athletic wear reached $384 billion in 2022 globally
- Revenue from sustainable fashion is expected to reach $9.81 billion by 2025
- Secondhand apparel market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail
- Shein was valued at $100 billion in 2022
- H&M had global net sales of $22 billion in 2022
- Uniqlo parent company Fast Retailing reported over $18 billion in revenue in 2022
- Boohoo’s annual revenue for FY22 was $2.2 billion
- The footwear market globally was valued at $381 billion in 2022
- Apparel is the second-largest e-commerce category after electronics
- Luxury apparel sales recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2022
- The global bridal wear market was worth $61 billion in 2021
- Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014
- Each year, global clothing sales are expected to increase 63% by 2030
- The global knitwear market size is projected to hit $1.3 trillion by 2026
- The global baby apparel market was valued at $135 billion in 2021
- Circular economy in fashion could unlock $560 billion by 2030
- The Indian apparel market reached $87 billion in 2022
- Europe’s apparel market was valued at $408 billion in 2022
- Men’s activewear grew by 17% in global sales in 2022
- Ethical fashion is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2021 to 2030
- The adaptive clothing market is projected to reach $400 billion globally
- Global digital fashion market was valued at $994 million in 2021
- U.S. apparel market is expected to surpass $400 billion by 2025
- Fair Trade certified apparel saw a 25% increase in U.S. sales in 2022
Interpretation
The global apparel industry is not just dressing the world—it’s racing toward a $2 trillion future stitched together by e-commerce, sustainability, and resale, proving that what we wear says as much about market momentum as it does about personal style.
Regional and Country-Specific Insights
- Asia-Pacific holds the largest share of the global apparel market at over 38%
- Garment workers in Bangladesh earn an average of $96/month
- Amazon is the largest apparel retailer in the U.S.
- Apparel factories in Vietnam employ over 2.5 million people
- South Korea spent $35 billion on fashion in 2022
- Taiwan is among the top 10 functional textile producers globally
- The average cost to produce a T-shirt in Bangladesh is around $2.50
Interpretation
Behind every $2.50 T-shirt fueling a $35 billion fashion spree sits a global apparel machine where Asia-Pacific stitches the profits, Amazon sells the style, and millions of underpaid workers patch together the real cost of looking good.
Sustainability and Ethical Production
- Fast fashion makes up about 10% of global carbon emissions
- The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
- Over 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry
- The apparel industry employs over 75 million people worldwide
- Around 60% of clothing material is synthetic like polyester
- Polyester, used in clothing, accounts for 35% of microplastics in oceans
- Only 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments
- Cotton cultivation accounts for 24% of insecticides sold worldwide
- Organic cotton represents only 1% of global cotton production
- Child labor is still prevalent in garment industry across some regions
- 87% of textiles used to make clothing end up in landfills or incinerated
- Leather used in apparel contributes to 14% of deforestation linked to cattle ranching
- The average T-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water to make
- The fashion industry contributes up to 10% of global CO2 emissions
- Over 8,000 different chemicals are used in textile manufacturing
- Dyeing processes contribute 20% of global industrial water pollution
- Female workers make up around 80% of garment labor force globally
- In the UK, over £140 million worth of clothing ends up in landfills yearly
Interpretation
Behind fashion’s glossy facade lies a global juggernaut that stitches together environmental havoc, human exploitation, and throwaway culture—proving that looking good often comes at a staggering cost to the planet and its people.
Trade and Export Data
- China is the largest exporter of apparel in the world
- In 2021, Bangladesh exported $34 billion worth of garments
- The European Union is the second-largest apparel importer globally
- Turkey ranked among top 5 textile apparel exporters globally in 2021
- The U.S. apparel import value from China was $18.5 billion in 2022
- Africa’s apparel export market is valued at approximately $15 billion
- Garment industry accounts for 80% of Bangladesh’s export revenue
Interpretation
In the global fashion arena where China stitches the most, Bangladesh hems its economy to garments, the EU dresses in imports, Turkey tailors a top-tier presence, the U.S. shops big from Beijing, and Africa threads a rising $15 billion story—proving that in the business of clothing the world, geopolitics and GDPs are cut from the same cloth.