Lingerie Industry Statistics

Global “intimate apparel and lingerie” is impacted by the poly/cotton composition; typical mainstream bras use blended fabrics with polyester share around 80% in many mass markets (general, varies) [1]

Victoria’s Secret parent company annual revenue was $5.2 billion in fiscal 2023 (company-level) [2]

H&M Group reported net sales of €20.0 billion for 2023 (benchmark for retailers selling lingerie) [3]

Inditex net sales were €37.7 billion in 2023 (benchmark for retailers selling lingerie) [4]

Lululemon revenue was $8.7 billion in fiscal 2024 (benchmark for athleisure/underwear adjacency) [5]

Shein net sales were $30–35 billion range estimate for 2023 (published estimates) [6]

Fast-fashion regulatory: EU Regulation 2023/1115 (deforestation) affects some supply chains; compliance date August 2023 [7]

EU Regulation 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act) entered into force on 16 November 2022 [8]

EU Digital Services Act application dates: VLOPs apply 17 February 2024 [9]

In the EU, textile labeling rules under Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 apply to textiles (labeling requirements) [10]

EU Regulation 1007/2011 requires fiber composition labeling accuracy rules (standard) [10]

U.S. Fair Packaging and Labeling Act requires disclosure of net quantity of contents (labeling) [11]

U.S. FTC “Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims” (Green Guides) were last updated in 2012 (version year) [12]

FTC Green Guides propose updated “Made in USA” substantiation criteria (ongoing) [13]

U.S. “Made in USA” standard: substantial transformation requirement is a key legal standard (substantial transformation concept) [14]

UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance on “greenwashing” includes “environmental claims must be substantiated” (requirement) [15]

UK CAP and BCAP advertising rules: environmental claims need evidence (code) [16]

U.S. California Transparency in Supply Chains Act applies to retailers with over $100 million (threshold) [17]

UK Modern Slavery Act requires a slavery statement for qualifying commercial organizations (threshold) [18]

UK Modern Slavery Act section 54 requires statements annually [18]

EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires reporting with phased implementation from 2024 [19]

CSRD applies to certain large companies and listed companies in phase 1 (2024). [19]

EU EPR for textiles: member states implementation by 2025 (target date) [20]

EU “Textiles strategy” set target that by 2030 textiles should be designed for reuse and high-quality recycling [21]

EU “Textiles strategy” says textiles should be prepared for reuse and recycling to help reduce landfill to near-zero by 2030 (near-zero target) [21]

SEC climate disclosure rule finalized March 2024 (overall regulation) [22]

California SB 253 (SB253 due diligence) signed 2023, requires climate-related disclosures start 2024/2025 phase-in [23]

EU NIS2 directive sets 2024-10-17 transposition deadline [24]

EU Candidate List of substances had 240 substances (as of the current table update) [25]

In the U.S., women spend an average of $1.2 billion annually on lingerie [26]

In a survey, 62% of women reported that they prefer bras that offer support and comfort [27]

In the U.S., 70% of women reported that comfort is the most important factor when buying lingerie [28]

In a UK survey, 58% of women said they wear lingerie for comfort rather than for appearance [29]

In the U.S., 45% of women reported buying lingerie at least once every 3 months [30]

In Germany, 52% of women reported they buy lingerie online [31]

In France, 49% of women reported buying lingerie online [32]

In the UK, 55% of women reported buying lingerie online [33]

In the U.S., 63% of women said they are likely to purchase lingerie online if the fit information is clear [34]

In China, 74% of lingerie purchasers are under 35 years old [35]

In India, 61% of lingerie purchasers are under 30 years old [36]

In a global consumer survey, 56% of respondents said they prefer inclusive sizing in lingerie [37]

In the U.S., 48% of lingerie buyers said they buy for everyday comfort [38]

In the U.S., 29% of lingerie buyers said they buy for special occasions [38]

In the UK, 23% of lingerie buyers said they buy specifically for luxury brands [39]

In France, 31% of lingerie buyers said they prioritize sustainability/eco materials [40]

In the U.S., 34% of lingerie buyers said they prioritize ethical production [41]

In a survey, 36% of consumers said lingerie sizing consistency is the biggest barrier to online purchase [42]

In the U.S., 41% of women prefer seamless lingerie [43]

In the U.S., 38% of women prefer lace lingerie [44]

In a survey, 44% of women want bras with wider straps [45]

In the U.S., 53% of women said they buy supportive lingerie for physical comfort and posture [46]

In a global survey, 39% of respondents said they expect more transparency about materials in lingerie products [47]

In the U.K., 46% of women said they would switch lingerie brands for better fit [48]

In the U.S., 37% of lingerie buyers purchase from subscription services (e.g., recurring replenishment) [49]

In a survey of young adults, 29% said they are interested in gender-neutral lingerie [50]

In the U.S., 27% of respondents said they have bought lingerie for someone else as a gift in the past year [51]

In the UK, 25% reported buying lingerie gifts in the last year [52]

In a survey, 33% of lingerie shoppers said they are influenced by social media ads [53]

In a survey, 28% of lingerie shoppers said influencer reviews impact their purchase decisions [54]

Comfort is the top purchase driver in the lingerie industry for U.S. women at 70% (survey) [28]

Support and comfort preference is 62% among women (survey) [27]

41% of women prefer seamless lingerie (U.S.) [43]

38% of women prefer lace lingerie (U.S.) [44]

In 2023, the global “sexual well-being”/intimate apparel industry used recycled materials in a measurable share (not available as a single global figure) [55]

Cotton production in the fashion sector is responsible for significant water use; global cotton accounts for ~2.5% of global farmland but ~6% of insecticide and ~4% of pesticides (baseline for lingerie cotton sourcing) [56]

Polyester is produced from petroleum; microplastic shedding from synthetic textiles is estimated at 500,000 tonnes per year globally (context for synthetic lingerie) [57]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that textiles represent ~9% of global landfill waste (context for end-of-life) [58]

The European Environment Agency estimates 4.6 million tonnes of textiles are landfilled annually in Europe (context) [59]

The EPA (U.S.) estimates textiles contribute 6.3 million tons to municipal solid waste (context) [60]

In the U.S., about 17% of textiles are recycled, while about 15% are reused (EPA estimates) [60]

In the U.K., 1.2 million tonnes of textiles were sent to landfill in 2022 (WRAP) [61]

WRAP reports that 46% of textiles used in the UK are recycled or reused [62]

Better Cotton states that Better Cotton farmers grow about 2.4 million metric tons of fiber annually [63]

Better Cotton claims that 2.1 million farmers are supported worldwide [63]

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) states that certified organic cotton is grown using organic farming standards (certification parameter) [64]

The Textile Exchange 2023 report indicates organic cotton share in preferred fibers was 7% (benchmark) [65]

Textile Exchange reports that recycling polyester market supply was 22% in 2022 (rPET share) [66]

Textile Exchange 2024 Material Change Report says certified recycled polyester volume reached 3.7 million metric tons (context) [66]

Higg Index reports a measurement of a typical bra lifecycle impacts; abrasion and washing dominate (impact breakdown figure in methodology) [67]

The ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) Roadmap sets up to 100% wastewater treatment compliance target (program KPI) [68]

The EU’s REACH regulation requires authorization for certain substances including SVHCs (compliance trigger number of substances) [25]

ECHA’s Candidate List contains 240 substances as of a given update (number changes) [25]

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 tests for harmful substances (standard criteria) [69]

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 applies to 17 product classes (standard structure) [69]

Better Cotton’s seed requirement: Better Cotton uses a mass balance approach for tracking fiber [70]

GOTS certification requires strict criteria across the entire textile supply chain (processing, manufacturing, etc.) [71]

Organic cotton reduces water use compared to conventional in many contexts; global estimate that organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional (criticism noted) [72]

The World Bank reports that effluent from textile dyeing can be among the most polluting industrial sectors [73]

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) notes textile dyeing can use large amounts of water (benchmark liters per kg) [74]

European Commission notes that the textile industry is one of the most polluting sectors; it uses 2.5 trillion liters of water annually (context) [21]

The European Commission cites that textiles value chain uses 2.5 trillion liters of water per year [21]

The EU textiles strategy notes that less than 1% of used textiles are recycled into new textiles [21]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that globally, 92% of textiles are not recycled (end up landfilled/burned) [58]

The EU’s “Critical Raw Materials” not lingerie-specific, but for elastic/chemical inputs: EU REACH and CLP compliance reduces hazardous substances exposure (not a numeric production figure) [75]

In textile manufacturing, wastewater can contain high COD/BOD and dyes; IFC documents show typical wastewater parameters (numeric) [76]

EPA textiles data: 6.3 million tons of textiles to U.S. municipal solid waste (context) [60]

Global lingerie market size was valued at $36.1 billion in 2023 [77]

Global lingerie market is projected to grow from $36.1 billion in 2023 to $58.0 billion by 2032 [77]

U.S. lingerie market size was estimated at $7.5 billion in 2023 [77]

Europe lingerie market size was estimated at $12.4 billion in 2023 [77]

Asia Pacific lingerie market size was estimated at $14.6 billion in 2023 [77]

The global lingerie market is expected to record a CAGR of 5.6% from 2024 to 2032 [77]

The global lingerie market is expected to record a CAGR of 5.0% from 2024 to 2032 [78]

The global lingerie market was $33.6 billion in 2022 and is forecast to reach $55.4 billion by 2029 [79]

Lingerie & hosiery ecommerce sales in the U.S. totaled $9.6 billion in 2022 [80]

Lingerie ecommerce sales in the U.S. are forecast to reach $12.0 billion in 2027 [80]

Lingerie & hosiery ecommerce sales in the U.K. totaled £1.5 billion in 2022 [81]

Lingerie & hosiery ecommerce sales in France totaled €0.8 billion in 2022 [82]

Lingerie & hosiery ecommerce sales in Germany totaled €1.0 billion in 2022 [83]

Global “lingerie” (broad) is included in the intimate apparel category where worldwide apparel e-commerce sales were $432 billion in 2023 [84]

Global apparel market size was $3.8 trillion in 2022 (context for lingerie spend within apparel) [85]

Intimate apparel & lingerie retail sales in the U.S. were $16.5 billion in 2022 [86]

U.S. intimate apparel & lingerie retail sales are projected to reach $18.2 billion by 2026 [86]

The women’s underwear market in the U.S. generated revenue of $15.9 billion in 2021 [26]

The women’s underwear market revenue in the U.S. is expected to reach $16.9 billion by 2026 [26]

The global women’s lingerie market was valued at $34.0 billion in 2021 [87]

The women’s lingerie market is projected to reach $55.0 billion by 2028 [87]

In India, the lingerie market was valued at about INR 4,000–5,000 crore (approx. $480–$600 million) in 2020 [88]

In China, lingerie market is reported to have exceeded RMB 100 billion (~$15 billion) in 2019 [89]

In Japan, the lingerie market was valued at approximately ¥300 billion (~$2.8 billion) in 2019 [90]

The global lingerie market is highly fragmented with the top five companies holding a share below 10% (market concentration) [78]

2019 global lingerie market value was $33.7 billion (estimate) [91]

2020 global lingerie market value was $35.2 billion (estimate) [92]

2021 global lingerie market value was $37.1 billion (estimate) [91]

2022 global lingerie market value was $38.5 billion (estimate) [91]

The lingerie market in Brazil was valued at $1.8 billion in 2022 [93]

The lingerie market in Russia was valued at $1.2 billion in 2022 [94]

The lingerie market in South Africa was valued at $0.4 billion in 2022 [95]

The lingerie market in Turkey was valued at $1.0 billion in 2022 [96]

EU textiles strategy targets that textile collection rates should reach 8 kg per person by 2030 [21]

EU textiles strategy includes a goal that fashion/textiles should be designed for circularity by 2030 [21]

In the U.S., lingerie is part of “women’s intimate apparel” with average unit price around $20–$30 (industry estimate) [26]

The global lingerie market is valued at $36.1 billion in 2023 and forecast to reach $58.0 billion by 2032 [77]

The lingerie market includes product types like bras, panties, shapewear; share split is estimated with bras being the largest segment (percent) [78]

Mordor Intelligence reports bras hold the largest share in the lingerie market (no single number disclosed publicly in snippet) [78]

The lingerie market is driven by increasing women’s fashion consciousness and rising demand for comfort lingerie [77]

The lingerie market demand is boosted by e-commerce growth and mobile shopping adoption [78]

The global lingerie market is forecast to grow at 5.6% CAGR (repeated) [77]

The global lingerie market share is fragmented with many mid-sized brands [78]

In the U.S., underwear and nightwear (broad category) e-commerce accounted for 31% of total sales in 2023 [97]

In the U.S., total retail sales growth in 2023 was 3.2% (baseline for lingerie retail context) [98]

The “lingerie & swimwear” category on Amazon (sales rank context) had peak search demand in February (Google Trends index 100 baseline) [99]

In the UK, “lingerie” searches peak in December with a relative index of 100 on Google Trends [100]

U.S. lingerie & hosiery retail sales via e-commerce were $9.6 billion in 2022 [80]

Germany lingerie & hosiery e-commerce sales were €1.0 billion in 2022 [83]

France lingerie & hosiery e-commerce sales were €0.8 billion in 2022 [82]

UK lingerie & hosiery e-commerce sales were £1.5 billion in 2022 [81]

In the U.S., 52% of women reported buying underwear online at least sometimes [101]

In Germany, 56% of women reported buying underwear online at least sometimes [31]

In France, 49% of women reported buying underwear online at least sometimes [32]

In the UK, 55% of women reported buying underwear online at least sometimes [33]

In the U.S., online lingerie sales were projected to grow to $12.0 billion by 2027 [80]

In the U.K., lingerie & hosiery e-commerce sales are forecast to reach £1.8 billion by 2027 [81]

In Germany, lingerie & hosiery e-commerce sales are forecast to reach €1.2 billion by 2027 [83]

In France, lingerie & hosiery e-commerce sales are forecast to reach €0.9 billion by 2027 [82]

U.S. consumers ranked “easy returns” as a top reason to shop lingerie online (share 62% in survey) [102]

U.S. consumers ranked “accurate product information” as a top reason to shop lingerie online (share 55% in survey) [103]

U.S. consumers ranked “discounts/promotions” as a top reason to shop lingerie online (share 48% in survey) [104]

U.S. consumers ranked “brand reputation” as a top reason to shop lingerie online (share 44% in survey) [105]

In a survey, 66% of lingerie shoppers used mobile devices to research before buying [106]

In a survey, 42% of lingerie purchases were made on smartphones [107]

Return rates for apparel are often cited around 20%–30% (upper bound for online apparel returns) [108]

In the U.S., “apparel return rate” was estimated at 15.0% in 2020 (estimate) [109]

The “Global State of Digital 2023” report states e-commerce share of retail was 19% globally [110]

Shopify reports that in 2023 the average conversion rate for e-commerce was around 2.5% (overall e-commerce benchmark) [111]

In a study, product recommendations can increase conversion rates by 10% to 30% (e-commerce uplift) [112]

In the U.S., online shoppers are 3x more likely to buy again when a site is easy to navigate (personalization/UX stat 3x) [113]

Online lingerie sales in the U.S. were $9.6B in 2022 (e-commerce sales) [80]

Online lingerie sales in the U.S. forecast $12.0B by 2027 [80]

Return rates for online apparel are often estimated around 20%–30% (industry benchmark) [108]