Market Report

Weaving Industry Statistics

Weaving industry drives global textile economy with massive output, exports, employment.

Key Statistics

The Indian handloom industry employs over 4.33 million people

The U.S. textile and apparel industry includes nearly 250,000 workers

The Indian jute industry supports over 0.37 million workers

Ethiopia’s textile sector employs more than 62,000 workers as of 2020

Automation in weaving has reduced labor requirements by up to 30%

Women comprise nearly 60–70% of handloom industry workforce in South Asia

+69 more statistics in this report

Jannik Lindner
October 13, 2025

Key Insights

Essential data points from our research

The global textile market size was valued at USD 993.6 billion in 2021

The weaving segment accounted for over 40% of the textile market revenue in 2021

India is the second-largest producer of silk in the world, with a production of 35,820 metric tons in 2020–21

The Indian handloom industry employs over 4.33 million people

China is the largest textile producer and exporter globally, accounting for over 50% of global textile exports

Bangladesh’s woven garments accounted for 42% of its total RMG exports in 2021

The U.S. textile and apparel industry includes nearly 250,000 workers

The global market for looms is expected to reach USD 3.2 billion by 2027

The CAGR of the global textile market from 2022 to 2030 is projected at 4.0%

In 2021–22, India exported textiles and apparel worth USD 44.4 billion

Pakistan’s textile industry comprises 46% of the total manufacturing sector

There are more than 2.6 million power looms in India

The Indian weaving industry contributes 12% to the global weaving capacity

Verified Data Points
From ancient handlooms to high-speed air-jet machines, the weaving industry quietly powers a trillion-dollar global textile market—accounting for over 40% of its revenue and employing millions across continents, as this data-rich deep dive reveals.

Employment and Workforce

  • The Indian handloom industry employs over 4.33 million people
  • The U.S. textile and apparel industry includes nearly 250,000 workers
  • The Indian jute industry supports over 0.37 million workers
  • Ethiopia’s textile sector employs more than 62,000 workers as of 2020
  • Automation in weaving has reduced labor requirements by up to 30%
  • Women comprise nearly 60–70% of handloom industry workforce in South Asia
  • EU textile employment was approximately 1.4 million in 2020

Interpretation

While automation trims jobs in the global weaving industry, the enduring threads of tradition—particularly in South Asia, where women form its vibrant core—continue to employ millions, weaving both livelihoods and cultural heritage into every fabric roll.

Market Size and Value

  • The global textile market size was valued at USD 993.6 billion in 2021
  • The weaving segment accounted for over 40% of the textile market revenue in 2021
  • The global market for looms is expected to reach USD 3.2 billion by 2027
  • The CAGR of the global textile market from 2022 to 2030 is projected at 4.0%
  • Technical textiles account for 20% of the global textile industry
  • The woven fabric segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2021 to 2028
  • Global demand for jacquard fabrics is expected to grow at 4.9% CAGR by 2026
  • Digital textile printing holds around 6% market share of the global textile printing market
  • The Indian textile sector contributes 2.3% to the country’s GDP
  • Global woven fabric dyeing market was valued at USD 24.6 billion in 2020
  • Technical woven fabric usage in automotive industry is valued at over USD 2 billion
  • Global denim fabric market size was valued at USD 21.8 billion in 2019
  • Woven medical textiles is a USD 1.05 billion segment globally
  • The Indian technical textile sector is expected to grow to USD 23.3 billion by 2027
  • Woven geotextiles are expected to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2025
  • The woven sack market is projected to be worth USD 4.2 billion by 2025
  • The U.S. technical textiles market valued at over USD 18.1 billion
  • The woven filter fabric industry is expected to reach USD 3.7 billion globally by 2026
  • Woven e-textiles market size was USD 0.25 billion in 2020
  • African textile industry is worth over USD 31 billion

Interpretation

Threaded through global economies and industries from fashion to filtration, the weaving sector—powering over 40% of a nearly trillion-dollar textile market—is no longer just crafting cloth, it's spinning a high-tech, high-growth narrative that's as lucrative as it is loom-led.

Production and Output

  • India is the second-largest producer of silk in the world, with a production of 35,820 metric tons in 2020–21
  • Pakistan’s textile industry comprises 46% of the total manufacturing sector
  • There are more than 2.6 million power looms in India
  • The Indian weaving industry contributes 12% to the global weaving capacity
  • The average loom efficiency in developing countries is around 60–75%
  • The handwoven textile sector has declined by over 30% since 2010 in rural India
  • The power loom sector in India contributes nearly 60% to total cloth production
  • The share of weaving in India’s weaving and knitting sector is about 62%
  • The woven fabric manufacturing sector in China comprises over 87,000 enterprises
  • Polyester is the most commonly used fiber in woven fabrics, accounting for 52%
  • Power loom units in India produce nearly 63 billion square meters of woven fabric annually
  • Over 90% of Japan's textile production is done outside Japan
  • Weaving mills in the U.S. have declined by 45% over the past two decades
  • Organic cotton makes up less than 1% of global cotton production
  • India has over 50 textile parks dedicated to fabric and garment production
  • The average productivity of automatic shuttle looms is 200–230 picks per minute
  • Open-width woven fabric constitutes 43% of total woven production
  • Cotton accounts for around 27% of global textile fiber production
  • Nearly 88% of India’s fabric production comes from decentralized power loom sector
  • Silk production occupies only 0.11% of total textile fiber production globally
  • Traditional weaving clusters in India number over 600
  • Approximately 70% of garments are made from woven textiles
  • Around 25 billion meters of denim fabric produced annually worldwide
  • The weaving mill count in India stood at 2,000+ units by 2021
  • Pakistan has over 350 textile mills with spinning and weaving capacity
  • Worldwide textile consumption per capita is around 13 kg/year
  • Latin America textile production grew by 8.9% in 2021
  • Indian Khadi sector produces over 115 million square meters annually
  • Global production capacity of woven polyester is around 16 million metric tons

Interpretation

Amidst a global shift from handlooms to high-efficiency power looms, India weaves a paradox—producing billions of square meters of fabric annually and contributing 12% to global weaving capacity, yet watching its rich handwoven heritage unravel by over 30% in rural heartlands since 2010.

Technology and Innovation

  • The average weaving efficiency of modern air-jet looms is 85–92%

Interpretation

Modern air-jet looms may not hit 100%, but operating at 85–92% efficiency, they're weaving productivity into every thread with a few acceptable snags.

Trade and Export

  • China is the largest textile producer and exporter globally, accounting for over 50% of global textile exports
  • Bangladesh’s woven garments accounted for 42% of its total RMG exports in 2021
  • In 2021–22, India exported textiles and apparel worth USD 44.4 billion
  • Vietnam’s textile and garment exports reached approximately USD 40.4 billion in 2021
  • The European Union imported EUR 69.9 billion worth of textiles in 2021
  • Italy exported over EUR 9 billion worth of textiles in 2021
  • Turkey is the 7th largest textile exporter in the world
  • The US imports about 97% of its clothing and textiles
  • Global export value of woven cotton fabric was over USD 45 billion in 2021
  • The woven apparel segment in Bangladesh contributes about USD 17 billion to exports
  • Indonesia exported USD 10.6 billion worth of textiles and textile products in 2021
  • The weaving machinery export market from China is valued at USD 3 billion
  • Yarn and fabrics contributed USD 14.26 billion to India’s exports in 2021–22
  • About 56% of Pakistan’s exports are textile-related
  • The top 10 textile-exporting countries account for over 70% of world exports
  • Woven fabric exports from China totalled USD 26.48 billion in 2021
  • Thai textile industry exports grew by 10.5% in 2021
  • Sri Lanka exported USD 5.4 billion in textiles in 2021

Interpretation

In a tightly woven tapestry of global trade, where China spins dominance, Bangladesh threads resilience, India and Vietnam stitch billion-dollar gains, and the rest of the world—led by the EU, Turkey, and the US—drapes itself in imported fabric, it's clear that the loom of the global textile economy hums loudest in Asia’s industrial heart.

References