The bag industry influences how people travel and shop, spanning luggage, backpacks, and handbags. Key patterns emerge across regions and preferences in 2023–2024, from Europe’s major share of global bags to rising mobile shopping and virtual try-on. Sustainability is also reshaping products, with recycled materials, circular economy adoption, and growing carbon-neutral certification. Keep reading to see how technology and values are driving demand and innovation across bag categories.
Key Takeaways
- $73.5 billion global luggage market size in 2023
- 24.8% market share of Asia Pacific in global handbag market in 2023
- $18.2 billion global backpack market size in 2023
- 38% of consumers prefer neutral colors for bags in 2024
- 71% of respondents consider durability most important when buying a backpack in 2024
- 3.2 average number of handbags purchased per person per year in the US in 2023
- 33% of handbag brands have adopted circular economy models by 2024
- 8,000 liters of water saved per bag made from recycled plastic bottles
- 18% of bag brands are carbon neutral certified by 2024
- 31% of online bag sales are made via mobile devices in 2024
- 29% of bag brands use augmented reality for virtual try-on in 2024
- 66% growth in vegan leather bag market from 2022 to 2027
- 39% of luggage brands use polycarbonate in hard shells in 2024
- 41% reduction in material waste using 3D-knitting technology for bag uppers
- Europe accounted for 28.3% of global bag market share in 2023
Consumers are prioritizing durability and sustainability as the global bag market expands with smarter materials and tech.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size12 stats
01
$73.5 billion global luggage market size in 2023https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/luggage-market
02
24.8% market share of Asia Pacific in global handbag market in 2023https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/handbag-market
03
$18.2 billion global backpack market size in 2023https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/backpack-market-107118
04
32.4% market share of luxury handbags in total handbag market in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1465831/luxury-handbags-market-share/
05
9.8% annual growth rate for travel luggage in 2024https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/luggage-market
06
$6.2 billion global duffel bag market in 2022https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/duffel-bags-market
07
15.7% revenue share of backpacks in global bags market in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1062137/global-bags-market-revenue-share-by-product/
08
11.2% share of men's bags in global bags market in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1325364/global-bags-market-share-by-gender/
09
28.6 million units of backpacks sold in the US in 2024https://www.statista.com/statistics/243951/us-retail-sales-of-backpacks/
10
$12.4 billion global market for premium handbags in 2023https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/premium-handbags-market-A11343
11
$9.1 billion global market for backpacks in 2023https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/backpack-market
12
$5.4 billion global market for messenger bags in 2023https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/messenger-bags-global-market
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size data shows the bag industry is large and still expanding, with the global luggage market at $73.5 billion in 2023 and travel luggage projected to grow 9.8% in 2024.
02 · Category
Consumer Behavior7 stats
01
38% of consumers prefer neutral colors for bags in 2024https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/color-trends-handbags-2024
02
71% of respondents consider durability most important when buying a backpack in 2024https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/backpack-purchase-factors/
03
3.2 average number of handbags purchased per person per year in the US in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1254436/handbag-purchase-frequency-us/
04
55% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable bags in 2024https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/05/15/2882345/0/en/Global-Bag-Industry-Sustainability-Report-2024.html
05
68% of consumers prefer online shopping for bags in 2024https://www.retaildive.com/news/online-bag-shopping-preferences-2024/
06
33% of consumers buy bags from social media recommendations in 2024https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/bag-purchases-social-media-2024/
07
46% of bag shoppers read online reviews before buying in 2024https://www.trustpilot.com/blog/review-influence-bag-purchases-2024
Interpretation
Consumer Behavior Interpretation
In 2024 consumer behavior is clearly shifting toward durability and sustainability with 71% prioritizing a backpack’s durability and 55% willing to pay more for sustainable bags, while online and social influence also matter with 68% preferring online shopping and 33% buying based on social media recommendations.
03 · Category
Sustainability Impact3 stats
01
33% of handbag brands have adopted circular economy models by 2024https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/circular-handbag-initiatives/
02
8,000 liters of water saved per bag made from recycled plastic bottleshttps://www.patagonia.com/recycled-bags-water-savings/
03
18% of bag brands are carbon neutral certified by 2024https://www.carbonfund.org/bag-industry-carbon-neutral-2024
Interpretation
Sustainability Impact Interpretation
By 2024, 33% of handbag brands have moved into circular economy models and 18% are carbon neutral certified, showing that sustainability impact is shifting from ambition to measurable action, while recycled plastic bottles can save 8,000 liters of water per bag.
More related reading
04 · Category
Material Innovation3 stats
01
66% growth in vegan leather bag market from 2022 to 2027https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/vegan-leather-market
02
39% of luggage brands use polycarbonate in hard shells in 2024https://www.travelandleisure.com/luggage-materials-2024
03
41% reduction in material waste using 3D-knitting technology for bag uppershttps://www.adidas.com/3d-knitting-bags-waste-reduction
Interpretation
Material Innovation Interpretation
Material innovation is accelerating quickly as the vegan leather bag market is projected to grow 66% from 2022 to 2027, 39% of luggage brands already rely on polycarbonate for hard shells, and Adidas reports a 41% reduction in material waste through 3D-knitting for bag uppers.
05 · Category
E Commerce Trends2 stats
01
31% of online bag sales are made via mobile devices in 2024https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334567/mobile-bag-sales-share/
02
29% of bag brands use augmented reality for virtual try-on in 2024https://www.gartner.com/ar-retail-bags-2024
Interpretation
E Commerce Trends Interpretation
In 2024, with 31% of online bag sales happening on mobile and 29% of brands adopting augmented reality for virtual try-ons, E Commerce Trends are clearly being shaped by shopping experiences designed for mobile users.
06 · Category
Overview4 stats
01
29% of bag materials are derived from recycled sources in 2024https://www.recyclingtoday.com/bag-recycled-content-2024/
02
11.3 million tons of bag waste diverted from landfills through recycling programs in 2023https://www.waste360.com/textiles/bag-recycling-statistics-2023
03
Europe accounted for 28.3% of global bag market share in 2023https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bags-market-10232
04
14% of high-end handbag brands use NFTs for authentication in 2024https://www.nftnow.com/fashion/nft-authentication-handbags-2024/
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
In the Industry Overview context, sustainability and market positioning are moving fast as 29% of bag materials came from recycled sources in 2024 and 11.3 million tons of bag waste were diverted from landfills in 2023, while Europe held 28.3% of the global bag market share in 2023.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Bag Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bag-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Bag Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bag-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Bag Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bag-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)