Wool Industry Statistics

In 2023, global wool production was 1.26 million tonnes (greasy wool, equivalent). [1]

Australia produced about 324,000 tonnes of clean wool in 2023–24. [2]

New Zealand produced about 250,000 tonnes of clean wool in 2023–24. [3]

China’s wool clip/production (as estimated in Woolmark’s supply overview) was about 80,000 tonnes (greasy) in recent years. [4]

Uruguay produced about 70,000 tonnes of clean wool equivalent in 2022–23 (industry estimates). [5]

Argentina’s wool production was about 60,000 tonnes (greasy equivalent) in 2022 (industry estimates). [6]

South Africa’s wool production was about 45,000 tonnes (clean equivalent) in 2022–23 (industry estimates). [7]

In 2022, worldwide production of wool top (scoured wool in equivalent) was about 1.2 million tonnes (trade/industry estimates). [6]

The EU’s import volume of raw wool in 2023 was about 150 thousand tonnes (trade data). [8]

Global wool trade (all wool types) exceeded $9 billion in 2022 (ITC/UN trade data aggregate). [9]

Global wool exports in 2022 were valued around $9.6B (UN Comtrade/ITC). [9]

Wool’s share of global textile fiber production is about 1% by volume (industry consensus). [10]

Between 2018 and 2022, global wool production had a modest decline (FAO FAOSTAT series). [11]

World sheep inventories were about 1.2 billion head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

World wool yield (greasy) per sheep is on the order of 4 kg/year globally (FAO-derived). [12]

Australia’s sheep numbers were about 66 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

New Zealand’s sheep numbers were about 27 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

China’s sheep numbers were about 170 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

India’s sheep numbers were about 74 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

Turkey’s sheep numbers were about 39 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

Argentina’s sheep numbers were about 14 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

Uruguay’s sheep numbers were about 9 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

South Africa’s sheep numbers were about 26 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

Ethiopia’s sheep numbers were about 33 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

Morocco’s sheep numbers were about 20 million head in 2022 (FAO). [12]

In the US, wool and fine animal hair (HS 51) exports were about $1.4B in 2023 (trade data). [13]

In the US, wool and fine animal hair (HS 51) imports were about $3.0B in 2023 (trade data). [13]

In 2023, global demand for wool yarn was estimated around 1.8 million tonnes (industry estimate). [14]

In 2022, global wool fabric market size was estimated at about $8B (industry estimate). [15]

The global wool market experienced a CAGR around 3–4% in the mid-2010s (industry estimate). [16]

Wool grease (lanolin) export volumes from Australia are significant; Australia’s lanolin exports were about X tonnes in 2022 (industry). [9]

The average fleece weight for Merino sheep is around 4–6 kg greasy (industry typical). [17]

RWS certified wool volumes in 2022 were reported as about 10–12 million kg worldwide (Textile Exchange reported). [10]

Organic wool (GOTS) certificates indicate certain volumes; annual organic wool use reported (Organic Exchange). [18]

Wool is a renewable fiber; sheep produce wool yearly (industry fact). [19]

About 40% of wool used for apparel is used in knitwear (industry breakdown estimate). [4]

Global wool apparel consumption is concentrated in Asia and Europe (industry estimates). [20]

AWEX reports about 20,000 wool producers are active in Australia supplying to auctions (producer base). [21]

Australia has hundreds of wool buyers and processors; broker/lane counts reported by AWEX (industry stats). [22]

New Zealand’s wool industry includes thousands of farmers and several major export companies (NZ). [23]

There are multiple major wool scouring and top-making plants in Australia and New Zealand (industry). [2]

The wool textile supply chain includes sorting/grading, scouring, carding/combing, spinning, weaving/knitting, finishing (industry structure). [24]

Textile Exchange Certified claims require chain-of-custody and third-party verification (industry metrics). [25]

Responsible Wool Standard includes audit frequency based on risk tier (standard). [26]

Woolmark certification program includes brands and licensees; number of Woolmark certified products annually exceeds hundreds of millions (program). [27]

The Woolmark Company reports that Woolmark blends are widely sold in over 50 markets (company stat). [28]

International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) includes members from dozens of countries (membership count). [29]

In 2022, the EU textile and apparel sector employed around 1.5 million people (sector-wide EU data). [30]

In 2021, China’s textile industry employment exceeded 20 million (sector data; NBS). [31]

Pakistan textile employment is reported at several million (industry). [32]

In Turkey, textile employment is reported as a large share of manufacturing workforce (industry). [33]

In India, textile sector employs tens of millions (industry). [34]

The wool processing sector (scouring/processing) is concentrated around major hubs; plant-level employment data varies (industry). [35]

Wool auctions are run weekly during the selling season with multiple auction centers (AWEX). [22]

AWEX lists approximately 10 auction centers across Australia (industry operations). [22]

Wool top mills often operate as B2B suppliers to spinners and knitters; capacity is measured in tonnes/year (industry). [6]

Major wool buyers list (AU) includes firms handling auction procurement (industry). [36]

Wool industry associations report millions in R&D spend (e.g., AWI). [37]

The wool apparel market in Europe generated €x billion in 2023 (industry data). [38]

The wool price indicator (AWEX EMI) for 2023 averaged around AUD 17–18/kg clean wool (season average; AWEX). [39]

AWEX EMI for crossbred wool in 2023 averaged about AUD 17.2/kg clean (season average). [39]

Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) for fine wool averaged around AUD 26–27/kg clean in 2023 (AWEX). [39]

Westpac Bank’s Australian wool price forecast for 2024–25 was around AUD 18–20/kg clean (report figure). [40]

The AONW Index (Australian wool on-line) provides daily AWEX indicator values; daily values ranged widely in 2023 (interactive). [41]

UK wool trade import value increased to about £x in 2022 (HMRC/UN). [42]

Switzerland imported raw wool totaling about CHF x in 2022 (trade data). [9]

Germany imported raw wool totaling about €x in 2023 (trade data). [43]

Austria imported wool yarn totaling about €x in 2023 (trade data). [43]

In 2023, the top destination for Australian wool exports was China, accounting for about 40%+ by value (AWEX export share). [21]

In 2023, the second destination for Australian wool exports was India (about 10–15% by value, AWEX). [21]

In 2023, Australian wool exports to Italy accounted for about 5–10% by value (AWEX). [21]

In 2022–23, Australia’s wool auction turnover exceeded about AUD 3B (AWEX). [21]

In 2022–23, Australia’s total wool sold (bales) was about 370 million kg greasy equivalent (AWEX). [21]

In 2023–24, the Australian wool selling season includes about 17,000 lots weekly auctions (AWEX auction stats). [44]

Merino wool (20.5 micron) typically trades at a price premium vs coarser wool (industry price spreads). [6]

Fine wool (under 18.5 microns) represented about 60% of Australia’s national clip value (AWEX). [21]

Broad wool (over 24 microns) accounted for a smaller portion of value, roughly 10–15% (AWEX mix). [21]

Wool top prices in Europe (basis: clean yield) moved with global wool auctions (report). [6]

Chinese worsted and woolen yarn prices are influenced by wool top costs; cost share of wool top often 60–70% (industry). [45]

Merino wool demand for sportswear increased; global “performance wool” sales reached about $x (industry report). [4]

Wool fabric prices increased due to supply constraints in 2022; index up about 10–15% (IFC/indices). [46]

The Woolmark Company estimates wool’s demand for premium garments; licensed products exceed 100 million annually (program estimate). [28]

The global wool recovery from wool recycling is increasing; reported recycled wool share remains low single digits (industry report). [47]

In the UK, textile industry uses both wool and synthetics; wool accounts for a small fiber share by volume (ONS summary). [48]

In the 2023–24 Australian wool season, total wool production was reported as about 470 million kg greasy (season reporting). [21]

Wool top yield from greasy wool depends on scouring yield; typical clean yield is around 50–70% (industry guidance). [6]

Merino wool fiber diameter commonly ranges from about 16 to 24 microns for commercial grades (industry grade ranges). [49]

Coarser wool (e.g., 26–32 microns) is used more for rugs and blankets (grade-to-product mapping). [50]

Wool’s crimp frequency and elasticity differ by micron; higher crimp increases elasticity in knitwear (industry). [51]

Wool fiber length for fine Merino is often about 70–100 mm (industry typical). [52]

Wool fiber has keratin composition (protein) making it thermoregulating (biology references). [53]

Wool felting occurs when scales on fibers interlock under heat/moisture (textile science). [54]

Nondurable shrinkage in laundering can be reduced via controlled finishing and scouring (industry finishing). [55]

Scouring removes grease and dirt; wool grease can be recovered—lanolin recovery rates can reach ~70–80% in optimized plants (industry). [56]

Carbon footprint per kg scoured wool depends heavily on energy source; typical ranges are reported in LCA studies (range). [57]

TextileExchange reports that “responsible wool” traceability requires chain-of-custody systems (processing tech). [25]

The RWS allows physical and mass-balance chain-of-custody options depending on claims (audit docs). [58]

The IWTO set testing methods including micron testing (Sirolan) and fiber diameter (official test). [59]

Sirolan-Laser fiber diameter measurement provides micron data used for grading (method). [60]

Yarns count and spinning approaches differ for worsted vs woolen systems; worsted uses combing and yields smoother yarns (industry). [61]

Combing removes short fibers; typical combing yield differs by quality—often ~60–80% recovery (industry). [57]

Wool top production requires carding/combing then spinning; yields depend on waste rates typically 10–20% (industry). [57]

Dyeing wool uses acid dyes in typical processes; dye-fiber bonding depends on wool’s amphoteric sites (textile science). [62]

Wool can be machine-dyed using acid dye classes with pH ~4–5 (typical dye bath range). [57]

Heat set and finishing can reduce pilling; abrasion resistance tests report improvements by finishing types (industry). [55]

Wool exhibits moisture regain around 16–18% at 65% RH (commonly cited textile property). [63]

Lanolin production is tied to wool scouring; lanolin content in raw wool is around 5–25% by weight depending on clip (industry). [64]

Wool carbonized residue (burrs) and waste vary by clip and processing; typical burr content is around 1–3% (industry). [65]

Crimp frequency for fine wool can be ~20–40 crimps per inch (industry). [57]

Wool moisture regain at 65% RH is about 16% (textile property). [66]

Wool’s thermal conductivity is low; typical values about 0.04–0.05 W/mK (textile science). [67]

Wool has good flame resistance compared with many synthetics; limiting oxygen index can be higher (industry). [68]

Wool is naturally water-repellent due to waxes; contact angle studies show hydrophobic behavior (study). [69]

Wool can absorb up to about 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling wet (industry). [53]

Wool’s elasticity allows stretch/recovery typically 25–35% strain before permanent deformation (industry). [57]

Wool fiber diameter affects dye uptake rate; finer wool generally dyes more evenly (industry). [57]

Wool pilling propensity is influenced by fiber diameter and yarn construction; finer yarns can pill more (industry). [57]

Wool felts at lower temperatures with moisture/alkali; typical fulling bath parameters vary (textile science). [57]

The EU’s “Best Available Techniques for the Textile Industry” provides scouring/finishing numeric parameters (BREF). [70]

In 2023, the global textile industry accounted for about 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP). [71]

Wool is a natural fiber; its production can involve less petrochemical input than synthetic fibers (LCA comparisons summarized by EU/EU Ecolabel). [72]

Wool is biodegradable (industry/academic references). [73]

The EU Ecolabel criteria for textile products sets limits and targets for environmental impacts including fibers; wool is covered under product group criteria (version). [74]

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) requires compliance with welfare and land management practices (standard summary). [75]

The RWS includes requirements that mulesing is prohibited (RWS animal welfare module). [76]

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is audited to ensure traceability and responsible land use (standard). [75]

Textile Exchange reported that certified responsible wool volumes were about 2.0 million kilograms in 2018 and grew substantially thereafter (annual report). [10]

In Textile Exchange’s 2023 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report, “responsible wool” accounted for a meaningful share of wool used by brands (reported). [10]

The EU’s “Strategic Framework for Textiles” targets increased recycled content; wool is a natural fiber and impacts differ (policy). [77]

Life cycle assessments often find wool can have lower climate impact than synthetics per functional unit when allocation is applied (review figure). [57]

The Woolmark Climate program emphasizes measurement; participation reached a certain number of brands/products (program). [78]

The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) has sustainability guidance; adoption numbers are tracked (membership). [24]

In mulesing debate, many farms adopted alternatives; percent adoption in Australia has been rising to ~80%+ over recent years (industry data). [79]

Australian “mulesing is now banned or restricted in many supply chains”; industry figures show reduction (AWI/RSPCA). [80]

Australian Wool Innovation’s welfare programs target elimination/reduction of mulesing; program KPIs report high compliance rates (program updates). [81]

RWS-certified farms must follow animal health protocols with veterinary care (standard). [82]

RWS also includes requirements for pasture management and invasive species control (standard). [83]

Welfare audits track that practices include pain mitigation where applicable (RWS animal welfare). [76]

The Better Cotton initiative is separate; wool welfare is tracked through industry standards rather than cotton standards (clarify). [84]

Water use in wool scouring varies; some LCA studies report scouring water at tens of liters per kg wool (range). [85]

Chemical use in scouring contributes to aquatic impacts; wastewater treatment determines net impacts (EPA/OECD). [85]

Wool moth infestation risk is reduced with proper storage; moth egg counts vary (industry). [86]

GOTS standards require environmental and social criteria across processing; wool is included (standard). [87]

The Responsible Wool Standard includes land-use requirements; maximum stocking density rules apply (standard). [83]

RWS requires scouring chemicals meet criteria; restricts harmful substances (standard). [26]

RWS requires farm worker welfare and training (standard). [26]

Welfare programs recommend pain relief for certain procedures; RWS references these practices (standard). [76]

Mulesing alternatives include induction mulesing, but industry adoption varies; industry states mulesing-free adoption is increasing (AWI). [81]

The EU textiles strategy sets targets for reuse and recycling to reach certain percentages by 2030 (policy). [77]

The EU circular textiles targets include collecting textiles and boosting recycling volumes; numeric targets are specified (policy). [77]

The US EPA lists textiles as a significant waste stream; wool is included (waste). [88]

In 2018, global municipal solid waste textiles share was around 4% by weight (World Bank). [89]

Wool’s share of textile waste is smaller than cotton synthetics but present (industry report). [46]