Mauritius Textile Industry Statistics

Mauritius had 3,249 workers in the textile sector as of 2020 [1]

The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that 36.4% of employment in Mauritius is in manufacturing [2]

Mauritius’ textile and apparel sector employs about 100,000 people [3]

Mauritius’ textile and apparel sector is ranked among the top sectors in terms of employment, with about 1 out of every 5 jobs linked to the sector (approx. 20%) [4]

Mauritius textiles and apparel sector is dominated by women employment (gender share reported in ILO/sector brief) [5]

In Mauritius, the female employment share in manufacturing is 44% (reported ILO indicator) [6]

ILO indicates unemployment rate in Mauritius was 3.4% in 2023, affecting labor supply [7]

Mauritius’ youth unemployment rate was 17.3% in 2023 [8]

Minimum wage in Mauritius (relevant for textile labor costs) was MUR 560/day as of 2024 [9]

The textile industry in Mauritius is included in the Industrial Relations Act coverage for wages and working conditions (policy) [10]

Mauritius ratified the ILO Forced Labour Convention (C29) in 1997, relevant to sector compliance [11]

Mauritius ratified the ILO Labour Inspection Convention (C81) in 2002 [11]

Mauritius ratified the ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention (C155) in 1998 [11]

Mauritius ratified ILO Convention 187 (OS&H promotional framework) in 2011 [11]

The ILO reports that labour productivity (value added per worker) in manufacturing in Mauritius was about USD 60,000 per worker in 2022 (modelled) [12]

Mauritius’ GDP per employed person in manufacturing was increasing post-2019 (ILO modelled) [13]

Mauritius’ labor force in 2022 was around 500,000 persons (for labor market context) [14]

Employment in manufacturing in Mauritius was about 89,000 persons in 2022 (labour force accounting) [14]

In 2019, employment in manufacturing was 85,000 persons (reported trend) [14]

Textile industry contributes a large share of formal employment in Mauritius [15]

Mauritius’ textile sector is subject to SA8000/ISO social and quality compliance programs (reported) [16]

Mauritius’ textile industry has adopted the Better Work programme (reported participation) [17]

Better Work Mauritius supports compliance for export garment factories (reported) [18]

Better Work’s typical audit cycle includes 2-3 assessments per year per factory (program rule) [19]

Mauritius’ Garment factories comply with health and safety requirements under ILO conventions (policy linkage) [20]

Mauritius exported textiles and clothing worth $1.6 billion in 2021 [21]

Mauritius textiles and clothing export earnings were Rs 69.7 billion in 2022 [22]

Mauritius textile and apparel exports accounted for 69.9% of total exports in 2020 [23]

Mauritius’ share of textiles and clothing in total merchandise exports was 69.9% in 2020 [24]

Mauritius’ textile sector’s contribution to total exports was about 70% historically [25]

In 2021, Mauritius exported 1.1% of global clothing exports [26]

Mauritius’ textiles and apparel exports grew from $1.2 billion in 2019 to $1.6 billion in 2021 [26]

Mauritius recorded exports of apparel products of $1.49 billion in 2022 [26]

Mauritius’ textiles exports reached $1.55 billion in 2022 [26]

Mauritius’ top import market for textiles and apparel was France (share shown for related trade categories) [26]

Mauritius exported apparel to the European Union under preferential terms linked to the EU-ACP/Everything But Arms regime [27]

Mauritius’ exports to the United Kingdom under trade preferences for ACP countries (UK-EU continuity mechanisms for textiles) are supported by preferential rules [28]

In 2020, Mauritius shipped textiles and clothing worth $1.3 billion [26]

In 2021, Mauritius shipped textiles and clothing worth $1.6 billion [26]

In 2018, textiles and clothing were $1.0 billion in exports [26]

Mauritius’ apparel exports were $1.6 billion in 2021 for HS61+HS62 categories [26]

Mauritius’ textiles exports were $0.6 billion in 2021 for HS50-63 categories (textiles and textile articles) [26]

EU market is the main destination for Mauritius textile and apparel exports (major share) [29]

In 2022, Mauritius’ textiles and apparel exports were about 71% of total exports [30]

In 2020, Mauritius’ top textile apparel buyer was the EU with around two-thirds of shipments [31]

Mauritius textiles and apparel exports increased by 6.1% in 2023 compared with 2022 (reported) [32]

Mauritius is a beneficiary of the U.S. AGOA trade preferences for apparel (eligibility framework) [33]

Mauritius’ textile sector faced a reduction in trade preference margins after 2015 (reported policy change) [34]

Mauritius’ AGOA apparel exports supported by duty-free/quotas (policy terms) [35]

Mauritius exported T-shirts worth $X in 2021 (reported) [26]

Mauritius exported trousers worth $X in 2021 (reported) [26]

Mauritius exported knitted fabric worth $X in 2021 (reported) [26]

Mauritius’ apparel exports to the EU include HS61 and HS62 categories (policy statistic) [36]

Mauritius is classified as an LDC transitioning status for some trade preferences (status reported) [37]

Mauritius’ GSP beneficiary status affects garment tariffs (reported) [38]

The textile sector’s challenges include preference erosion and global competition (reported) [39]

The Mauritius Export Development and Investment Authority (MEDIA) promotes textile exports (program) [40]

Mauritius’ textile sector receives support for participation in trade fairs (export support) [41]

Mauritius had a trade deficit in textile-related inputs due to import dependence (reported) [26]

Textile and clothing imports to Mauritius were $X in 2021 (reported) [26]

The World Trade Organization reports preference erosion affects apparel exporters like Mauritius (reported) [42]

Mauritius’ garment production is concentrated in the export processing sector (export-oriented firms) [43]

The textile and clothing industry in Mauritius was the second-largest manufacturing contributor to GDP in 2019 [44]

Mauritius’ industrial sector (including textiles) contributed about 20.4% to GDP in 2022 [45]

The share of manufacturing in Mauritius GDP was 10.5% in 2022 [46]

The Government of Mauritius recorded that the textile sector had 6,000 firms/units engaged in textile-related activities (industry mapping) [47]

The Mauritian government targets upgrading in textiles to increase value addition to 35% by 2025 (target figure reported) [48]

Mauritius had 18 textile and apparel export firms listed under industry organizations [49]

The number of operating textile establishments in Mauritius was 181 in 2020 (industry registry figure) [50]

The textile industry has a mix of spinning/weaving and garmenting activities; garments dominate output (reported) [51]

Mauritius’ textile sector uses mainly cotton-based fabrics for apparel production (industry data) [52]

Mauritius is among the top African exporters of yarn and knitted fabrics (reported) [53]

Mauritius’ textile and clothing sector is part of the export processing zone (EPZ) [54]

The Export Processing Zone Act provides the legal framework for EPZ enterprises [55]

In Mauritius, textile firms benefit from EPZ incentives such as customs duty exemptions for inputs [55]

Mauritius’ textile sector modernization program aims to increase productivity by investing in machinery and training (reported) [56]

Mauritius Textiles and Clothing policy includes a target to reduce lead times to under 4 weeks (reported) [57]

Under Mauritius’ 2020–2024 National Development Strategy, the garment sector is targeted for skills upgrading (reported) [58]

Mauritius’ industrial energy consumption by sector shows manufacturing textiles have significant electricity use (reported) [59]

IEA reports Mauritius industrial electricity prices and consumption patterns (relevant) [60]

The textile sector accounts for a notable share of Mauritius’ industrial wastewater discharge (reported) [61]

Mauritius’ companies have to meet environmental standards under the Environment Protection Act (relevant) [62]

Mauritius enacted the Environment Protection (Standards for Wastewater) regulations (figure) [63]

Mauritius’ textile and apparel exports are concentrated in knitted and woven garments, (reported breakdown) [64]

Mauritius’ garment output is largely shirts, trousers, and T-shirts (product mix reported) [21]

Mauritius’ textile industry had value chain upgrades to move from assembly to fabric finishing (reported) [65]

Mauritius’ textile and apparel sector had about 35% share of domestic value added in exports (reported) [66]

Mauritius’ textile and apparel firms often source fabric imported due to limited local spinning capacity (reported) [67]

Mauritius has a limited domestic yarn production capacity; garments rely on imported yarn (reported) [51]

Mauritius’ textile and apparel export firms invested in automation to improve productivity (reported investment figure) [68]

Mauritius’ industrial policy supports textiles via the Business Facilitation Programme (reported) [69]

Mauritius’ textile and clothing sector includes both woven and knit apparel export categories (HS61/HS62) [70]

Mauritius has implemented ISO 14001 environmental management standards in some garment factories (reported) [71]