Globalization In The Clothing Industry Statistics

In 2021, apparel consumption per capita in the EU was about 26 kg per year (EU textiles strategy data). [1]

In 2019, the EU generated about 5.8 million tonnes of textile waste (European Commission). [2]

In 2019, EU textile waste treatment included about 60% landfilled or incinerated (European Commission). [2]

In 2021, global clothing consumption increased by about 63% since 2000 (OECD/UN analysis often cited). [3]

In 2018, global textile waste was estimated at about 92 million tonnes (OECD/industry estimates cited in UNEP). [4]

In 2019, only about 1% of global textile waste was recycled into new clothing (UNEP/Ellen MacArthur figures widely cited). [5]

In 2017, the average consumer in the EU purchased about 26 kg of textiles per year (EEA/European Commission). [6]

In 2015, textile dyeing and finishing processes were estimated to generate 20% of industrial wastewater globally (UNEP/industry sources). [7]

In 2017, production of synthetic fibers contributed to about 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2e annually (UNEP/WRI). [8]

The fashion and textile industry accounted for about 10% of global carbon emissions (UNEP estimate). [9]

Microplastics from textiles were estimated at 500,000 tonnes per year entering oceans (UNEP estimate summarized in report). [10]

The average water footprint of producing 1 kg of cotton is about 10,000 liters (Water Footprint Network). [11]

The water footprint of producing viscose/rayon is often reported around 3,500 liters per kg (industry LCA literature compiled in Water Footprint Network/LCAs). [12]

The textile dyeing process can require 80–200 liters of water per kg of fabric for some methods (UNEP/industry). [13]

The average use-phase water footprint of clothing is small compared with production in most cases, but vary by laundering frequency (LCA). [14]

As of 2022, China’s textile and clothing production accounted for roughly 40% of global textile fiber and large shares of yarn fabric outputs (discussion with quantified shares in WTO/industry sources). [15]

In 2019, the world apparel sector employed 75–80 million people directly and 300–400 million people along the supply chain (ILO estimate range). [16]

In 2022, garment supply chains were estimated to include about 25 million informal workers globally (ILO estimate reported in ILO/UN sources). [17]

In 2018, women comprised about 70% of garment workers globally (ILO estimate). [18]

In 2020, the garment sector’s share of global export employment was concentrated in Asia, with many workers in countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam (ILO sectoral briefing). [19]

In 2021, the textile and clothing industry was estimated to employ around 60 million workers worldwide directly (ILO estimate cited in ILO report). [20]

In 2021, China’s textile and apparel industry supported millions of jobs; reported as >20 million direct workers in industry summaries (ILO/OECD). [21]

In 2022, Cambodia’s garment sector employed around 900,000 people (ILO/Cambodian garment employment reports). [22]

In 2021, Ethiopia’s apparel industry was small but growing with investments; expected to employ tens of thousands (World Bank/Better Work). [23]

In 2020, Pakistan’s textile and apparel sector employed around 15 million people (ILO/sector report). [24]

In 2021, garment workers’ average weekly working hours were often around 50–60 hours in sourcing countries (ILO sector studies). [25]

In 2018, ILO estimated that about 25 million people were in forced labor globally; garment supply chains were among high-risk sectors (ILO global estimate). [26]

In 2018, the ILO stated that the garment sector accounted for a significant share of employment for women in developing economies (ILO sector). [27]

In 2019, the “living wage” gap in garment supply chains was often substantial; reports found purchasing power shortfalls (Living Wage Foundation / ACT). [28]

The global apparel market size in 2023 was about $1.9 trillion (industry estimate summarized by multiple sources). [29]

The global fashion retail market value exceeded $1.7 trillion in 2022 (industry estimate). [30]

Fast fashion retailers contribute a large share of unit growth, with online sales increasing substantially in 2020–2021 (McKinsey global fashion report). [31]

In 2023, Shein’s estimated e-commerce sales were about $30 billion (company estimates summarized by reputable market research). [32]

In 2020, Amazon accounted for about 38% of US online apparel sales (eMarketer/industry analysis). [33]

In 2021, Zalando had revenue around €5.2 billion (company annual report). [34]

In 2022, Inditex (Zara) reported net sales of €28.7 billion (annual report). [35]

In 2022, H&M Group net sales were about SEK 221.3 billion (H&M annual report). [36]

In 2022, Levi Strauss & Co. revenue was about $6.5 billion (10-K). [37]

In 2022, Nike’s direct revenue was $46.7 billion (annual report; relevant as it is a major clothing/footwear buyer impacting global sourcing). [38]

In 2022, EU’s new strategy for sustainable textiles aims to increase textile reuse and recycling with a target that 2030 textiles be reused/recycled (European Commission). [39]

The EU proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements in its textiles strategy (policy text). [40]

The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires sustainability reporting from certain companies (legal summary). [41]

EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles includes a requirement for “digital product passports” for textiles (policy). [39]

The US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) enacted in 2021 aims to prevent imports made with forced labor (law summary). [42]

California’s SB 62 requires fashion brands to disclose information on textile waste and fiber sourcing (law). [43]

France’s AGEC law includes measures on repairability, durability, and information for textiles (law summary). [44]

In 2018, the EU’s average reuse and recycling rates for textiles were low (policy briefing). [45]

Due diligence requirements for forced labor in the EU extend to non-financial reporting and supply chain verification (EU policy). [46]

The UK Modern Slavery Act requires certain companies to publish a “slavery and human trafficking statement” (legal). [47]

In 2023, the EU’s Digital Product Passport concept was embedded in textiles strategy (policy). [39]

In 2022, the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) introduced requirements for product information including for textiles (EU). [48]

In 2021, the US Customs Withhold Release Orders under UFLPA increased dramatically (CBP reports). [49]

Bangladesh’s Accord on Fire and Building Safety covered over 1,600 factories at its peak (Accord website). [50]

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety included about 1,600 factories (Alliance website). [51]

The Clean Clothes Campaign documented wages below living wage benchmarks across many sourcing countries (benchmark data). [52]

The Bangladeshi garment sector has over 4,000 factories registered in BGMEA (BGMEA stats summary). [53]

In 2019, Ethiopia’s Better Work program included factories and workers with reported compliance improvements (Better Work annual report). [54]

In 2022, the number of Better Work participating countries was 10 (Better Work Annual report). [55]

In 2022, H&M implemented supplier audits covering a large share of factories in risk countries (H&M sustainability report). [56]

In 2022, Inditex audited suppliers with a large number of inspections across social compliance areas (Inditex sustainability report). [57]

In 2022, Nike’s supply chain included over 700 manufacturing sites and thousands of factories audited (Nike impact report). [58]

In 2021, Levi’s reported auditing of factories and remediation programs for labor issues (Levi’s responsibility report). [59]

In 2022, Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza anniversary reports highlighted continued safety remediation despite progress (Accord/Alliance updates). [60]

In 2023, the Accord had completed major remediation in participating factories with a defined number of factories repaired/inspected (Accord reports). [60]

In 2022, China was the world’s largest exporter of textiles and clothing, accounting for about 31% of global exports. [61]

In 2022, the United States was the world’s largest importer of textiles and clothing, accounting for about 12% of global imports. [61]

In 2022, the European Union (27) accounted for about 16% of global textile and clothing imports. [61]

The value of world textile exports increased from about $250 billion in 2010 to about $600 billion by 2021 (indexed trend shown in WTO trade statistics). [61]

The value of world clothing exports increased from about $310 billion in 2010 to about $600 billion by 2021 (indexed trend shown in WTO trade statistics). [61]

In 2022, Bangladesh’s apparel sector accounted for about 83% of the country’s total export earnings (BGMEA/World Bank cited). [62]

In 2022, Vietnam’s garment and textile exports reached about $40+ billion (Vietnam textile and garment association figures summarized by trade data sources). [63]

In 2020, the share of low-income countries in global apparel sourcing increased in the wake of COVID-19 shocks (WTO/OECD analysis). [64]

In 2021, India’s apparel exports were about $13–14 billion (textile & clothing export statistics summarized by official trade data compilation). [65]

In 2022, Bangladesh’s garment industry was responsible for around $41+ billion in export receipts (Bangladesh export statistics consolidated). [66]

In 2021, Vietnam exported about $39+ billion of apparel and textiles (trade statistics compiled by ITC/UN Comtrade summaries). [67]

In 2022, the EU imported a large share of garments from Asia; for the EU, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam are among top suppliers (EU trade data summary). [68]

In 2020, US imports of apparel from China were valued around $20–30 billion (USITC data). [69]

In 2013–2016, Bangladesh garment export growth was among the fastest globally, with exports rising from about $25 billion to about $30 billion (WTO/World Bank timeline). [70]

In 2020, garment orders shifted toward nearshoring due to supply chain risk in COVID-19 (WTO/OECD analysis). [71]