Gitnux/Report 2026

Argentina Textile Industry Statistics

Argentina’s textile industry turns on sharp, measurable shifts in 2025, from production and trade momentum to the pressure points in costs and demand. Get the quick, practical breakdown of what changed and why it matters for local manufacturers right now.
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Argentina Textile Industry Statistics
Diana ReevesWritten by Diana Reeves·Edited by Abigail Foster·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Last verified Jul 1, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

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03Grade

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Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Jan 2027
Argentina textile firms added 12.4 billion dollars to national output. Exports reached 1.2 billion dollars while imports hit 2.8 billion dollars. Employment totals 85,000 direct workers amid a 38 percent informal rate.

Key Takeaways

  • The textile industry employed 85,000 direct workers in 2022, down 2.3% from 2021.
  • Argentina exported $1.2 billion worth of textiles and apparel in 2022, a 15% increase from 2021.
  • The textile industry contributed 1.8% to Argentina's GDP in 2022 ($12.4 billion).
  • Argentina imported $2.8 billion in textile products in 2022, up 18% from prior year.
  • In 2022, Argentina's textile industry produced 145 million square meters of woven fabrics, marking a 5.2% increase from 2021.

Argentina’s textile industry shows steady growth, highlighting rising production and improving market conditions.

Related reading

01 · Category

Employment Data29 stats

01
The textile industry employed 85,000 direct workers in 2022, down 2.3% from 2021.
02
Women represent 62% of the textile workforce in Argentina as of 2023.
03
Average monthly wage in textile sector: ARS 180,000 in Q1 2023.
04
45% of textile employees have formal contracts in 2022.
05
Youth employment (18-24) in textiles: 12,500 workers in 2021.
06
Buenos Aires province hosts 52% of textile jobs (44,200) in 2022.
07
Informal employment rate in textiles: 38% in 2023.
08
Training programs reached 15,000 textile workers in 2022.
09
Unionized workers: 65% of total textile labor force in 2021.
10
Turnover rate in textile factories: 18.4% annually in 2022.
11
Migrant workers in textiles: 8,200 (9.6%) in 2023.
12
Part-time employment: 22% of textile jobs in 2022.
13
Skilled labor shortage: 25% of positions unfilled in 2021.
14
Overtime hours average: 12 hours/month per worker in 2022.
15
Female supervisors: 28% in textile firms in 2023.
16
Remote work adoption: 5% in textiles post-COVID 2022.
17
Apprenticeships: 4,100 new in 2022.
18
Unemployment rate in textile sector: 7.2% in 2023 Q1.
19
Age distribution: 35% under 30 in textile workforce 2022.
20
Textile employment rose to 87,200 in 2023.
21
Female workforce share: 64% in 2023.
22
Avg wage: ARS 245,000/month in 2023 Q2.
23
Formal contracts: 47% in 2023.
24
Youth workers: 13,200 in 2022.
25
Buenos Aires jobs: 45,300 (52%) in 2023.
26
Informal rate: 36% in 2023.
27
Training: 16,800 workers in 2023.
28
Unionization: 67% in 2022.
29
Turnover: 17.2% in 2023.
Interpretation

Employment Data Interpretation

Argentina's textile industry, while cautiously threading a needle toward recovery with modest wage growth and slightly increased formality, remains a fabric frayed by persistent informality, gender imbalance in leadership, and a stubbornly high turnover that suggests many workers find the fit less than perfect.

02 · Category

Export Statistics16 stats

01
Argentina exported $1.2 billion worth of textiles and apparel in 2022, a 15% increase from 2021.
02
Main export destination: Brazil, 42% of textile exports ($504 million) in 2022.
03
Yarn exports: 25,400 tons valued at $98 million in 2022.
04
Apparel exports to EU: $156 million in 2021.
05
Wool fabric exports: $210 million, 17% of total in 2022.
06
Footwear exports (textile-based): $45 million in 2023 Q1.
07
Growth in exports to Chile: 22% YoY to $78 million in 2022.
08
Home textiles exports: $89 million, mainly to USA in 2021.
09
Technical textiles exports up 12% to $67 million in 2022.
10
Denim exports: 4.2 million meters worth $32 million in 2022.
11
Share of textiles in total manufactures exports: 4.8% in 2022.
12
Exports to MERCOSUR: 68% of total textile shipments in 2021 ($820 million).
13
Knitted apparel exports: $456 million in 2022.
14
Organic cotton textile exports: $12.5 million in 2023.
15
Exports to USA: $98 million, up 8% in 2022.
16
Towel and bedding exports: $34 million in 2021.
Interpretation

Export Statistics Interpretation

Argentina's textile industry is weaving a sturdy economic fabric, stitching together a robust 15% export growth by masterfully tailoring its threads, denim, and knits for its giant neighbor Brazil while cleverly threading new patterns into markets from the EU to its own organic cotton niche.

03 · Category

Financial Metrics15 stats

01
The textile industry contributed 1.8% to Argentina's GDP in 2022 ($12.4 billion).
02
Total revenue of Argentine textile firms: ARS 1.2 trillion in 2022.
03
Investment in textile machinery: $456 million in 2022.
04
Average profit margin: 8.4% for textile companies in 2021.
05
FDI in textiles: $123 million from 2018-2022.
06
Number of textile firms: 12,500 active in 2022.
07
Export revenue per employee: $14,100in 2022.
08
R&D spending: 1.2% of sector revenue ($14.4 billion ARS) in 2021.
09
Bank loans to textile sector: ARS 250 billion in 2022.
10
Cost structure: Raw materials 55%, labor 22% in 2022.
11
Sustainability investments: $78 million in green tech 2022.
12
Market size for apparel: ARS 450 billion in 2023.
13
Inflation impact: Textile prices up 89% YoY in 2022.
14
Digital sales growth in textiles: 45% to ARS 120 billion in 2022.
15
Tax contributions from sector: ARS 180 billion in 2021.
Interpretation

Financial Metrics Interpretation

Despite the brutal 89% inflation surge of 2022 trying to unravel the fabric of the economy, Argentina's textile industry, a patchwork of 12,500 firms, is holding its threads together by stitching up a $12.4 billion contribution to GDP, cleverly threading the needle with digital sales growth and weaving in green investments for its future.

More related reading

04 · Category

Import Statistics15 stats

01
Argentina imported $2.8 billion in textile products in 2022, up 18% from prior year.
02
Main import source: China, 56% ($1.57 billion) of textile imports in 2022.
03
Synthetic yarn imports: 89,200 tons valued at $245 million in 2022.
04
Fabric imports from Brazil: $456 million in 2021.
05
Cotton imports: 112,000 tons at $189 million in 2022.
06
Machinery for textiles imported: $210 million in 2023.
07
Apparel imports (finished): $678 million, mainly Asia in 2022.
08
Polyester fiber imports: 45,600 tons ($123 million) in 2021.
09
Import dependency for synthetics: 78% of consumption in 2022.
10
EU textile imports to Argentina: $234 million in 2022.
11
Trade deficit in textiles: $1.6 billion in 2022.
12
Viscose imports: 12,400 tons ($45 million) in 2023 Q1.
13
Second-hand clothing imports banned, but smuggling est. $300M in 2022.
14
Dye and chemical imports for textiles: $89 million in 2021.
15
Share of imports in domestic supply: 65% for fabrics in 2022.
Interpretation

Import Statistics Interpretation

Argentina's textile industry is stitching together a staggering $1.6 billion trade deficit, largely from a thread of Chinese synthetic yarn, as it struggles to weave its own fabric in a market where even the dye is mostly imported.

05 · Category

Production Volume30 stats

01
In 2022, Argentina's textile industry produced 145 million square meters of woven fabrics, marking a 5.2% increase from 2021.
02
The production of knitted fabrics in Argentina reached 78.4 million kg in 2022, up 3.8% year-over-year.
03
Argentina manufactured 12.3 million dozen pairs of hosiery in 2021, with a slight decline of 1.1% from 2020.
04
Total yarn production in the Argentine textile sector was 112,500 tons in 2022.
05
In 2023 Q1, non-woven fabrics output stood at 22.6 million square meters, a 4.7% rise.
06
Argentina's textile factories produced 56 million meters of denim fabric in 2022.
07
Cotton yarn output reached 45,200 tons in 2021.
08
Wool spinning production totaled 18,700 tons in 2022.
09
Synthetic fiber production for textiles was 67,800 tons in 2023.
10
Home textile production (bedding) hit 4.2 million units in 2022.
11
Technical textiles output grew to 15.4 million sqm in 2021.
12
Apparel manufacturing yielded 28.5 million garments in 2022.
13
Leather textile composites production: 1.8 million sqm in 2023.
14
Carpet and rug production: 2.1 million sqm in 2022.
15
Towel production reached 7.6 million kg in 2021.
16
Curtain fabric output: 3.4 million meters in 2022.
17
Socks production: 9.2 million dozen in 2023 Q1.
18
Underwear output: 15.7 million units in 2022.
19
T-shirts manufacturing: 22.4 million pieces in 2021.
20
Jeans production: 8.9 million pairs in 2022.
21
Production Volume: Woven fabrics output increased by 7.1% to 156 million sqm in 2023 Q2.
22
Knitted fabrics production hit 82.1 million kg in 2023.
23
Hosiery production: 13.1 million dozen pairs in 2022 full year.
24
Yarn output: 118,000 tons in 2023.
25
Non-woven output: 24.8 million sqm in 2023 H1.
26
Denim production: 60.2 million meters in 2023.
27
Cotton yarn: 48,900 tons in 2022.
28
Wool yarn: 20,100 tons in 2023.
29
Synthetic fibers: 72,300 tons in 2023.
30
Bedding production: 4.8 million units in 2023.
Interpretation

Production Volume Interpretation

While Argentina's textile industry is clearly dressing the nation with impressive growth across almost every fabric and garment, they still haven't managed to knit up the courage to mend that slightly sagging sock production.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Argentina Textile Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/argentina-textile-industry-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Argentina Textile Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/argentina-textile-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Argentina Textile Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/argentina-textile-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

indec.gob.ardatosmacro.expansion.comproduccion.gob.aritmf.orgcafma.org.aroas.orginti.gob.arargentina.gob.arstatista.comeurotextile.orgbcr.com.arcicpla.org.ardatos.indec.gob.arciai.org.arworldbank.orgoit.org.arilo.orgmintrabajo.gob.arcomtrade.un.orgec.europa.euoaciainter.comwits.worldbank.orgmercosur.intoec.worldfibre2fashion.comcensus.govfas.usda.govtextileworld.cominversionycomercio.gob.arafip.gob.arbcra.gob.arkantar.comcace.org.ar