Striding beyond its iconic samba beats and sun-kissed shores, Brazil's footwear industry is a titan in motion, crafting over a billion pairs annually while navigating a complex global dance of production surges, shifting material trends, and a fiercely competitive domestic market.
Key Takeaways
- Brazil's footwear industry produced 1,248 million pairs in 2022, a 5.2% increase from 2021 driven by recovery in domestic demand.
- In 2023, Brazilian footwear production reached 972 million pairs in the first nine months, up 16.3% year-over-year.
- The state of Rio Grande do Sul accounted for 155.2 million pairs of footwear produced in 2022, representing 12.4% of national output.
- Brazil exported 12.5 million pairs of footwear in January 2024, valued at US$ 41.2 million.
- Footwear exports from Brazil totaled US$ 1.02 billion in 2023, a 10.8% increase from 2022.
- The United States imported 22% of Brazil's footwear exports in 2023, valued at US$ 224 million.
- Brazil imported 28.4 million pairs of footwear in 2023, valued at US$ 512 million.
- China supplied 62% of Brazil's footwear imports in 2023, totaling 17.6 million pairs.
- Vietnam's footwear exports to Brazil reached US$ 98 million in 2023, up 22%.
- Brazil's footwear industry employed 262,000 direct workers in 2022.
- Rio Grande do Sul's footwear sector provided 75,000 jobs in 2023, 28% of national total.
- Formal employment in Brazilian footwear grew 4.2% to 245,000 in mid-2023.
- Brazil's footwear market revenue reached R$ 45 billion in 2022.
- Domestic footwear consumption in Brazil totaled 1,120 million pairs in 2023.
- E-commerce sales of footwear grew 25% to R$ 8.2 billion in Brazil in 2023.
Brazil's footwear industry rebounded strongly last year with growing production and exports.
Employment Statistics
- Brazil's footwear industry employed 262,000 direct workers in 2022.
- Rio Grande do Sul's footwear sector provided 75,000 jobs in 2023, 28% of national total.
- Formal employment in Brazilian footwear grew 4.2% to 245,000 in mid-2023.
- Women comprise 65% of the footwear industry workforce in Brazil as of 2022.
- Average monthly salary in Brazil's footwear sector was R$ 1,850 in 2022.
- Over 1.2 million indirect jobs are supported by Brazil's footwear industry in 2023.
- Footwear factories in the Northeast region employed 45,000 workers in 2022.
- Youth employment (18-24 years) in footwear reached 22% of total workforce in 2023.
- Training programs benefited 15,000 footwear workers via Senai in 2022.
- Turnover rate in Brazil's footwear industry averaged 18% annually in 2022.
- Footwear employment in São Paulo state was 52,000 in 2023.
- 12,000 new jobs created in footwear sector in first half 2023.
- Northeast footwear jobs totaled 68,000 in 2022.
- Skilled labor shortage affected 40% of footwear factories in 2023.
- Unionized workers in footwear reached 180,000 in 2022.
- Remote work adoption in footwear admin roles was 15% in 2023.
- Apprenticeships in footwear trained 8,500 youths in 2022.
- Wage growth in footwear sector was 6.8% in 2023.
- Footwear jobs in Minas Gerais: 12,500 in 2023.
- Footwear sector training investment: R$ 50 million in 2022.
- Employment growth in exports-oriented factories: 8% 2023.
- Female managerial roles in footwear: 28% in 2023.
- Informal employment in footwear: 20% of total workforce.
- Senai footwear courses enrolled 20,000 students 2023.
Employment Statistics Interpretation
Despite facing a skilled labor shortage and high turnover, Brazil's footwear industry strides forward on the heels of its formidable female-majority workforce, which not only powers major regional hubs but is actively being trained to step into the future.
Export Statistics
- Brazil exported 12.5 million pairs of footwear in January 2024, valued at US$ 41.2 million.
- Footwear exports from Brazil totaled US$ 1.02 billion in 2023, a 10.8% increase from 2022.
- The United States imported 22% of Brazil's footwear exports in 2023, valued at US$ 224 million.
- Argentina received 15.3% of Brazil's footwear shipments in 2023, totaling 4.8 million pairs.
- Brazilian footwear exports to Europe grew 18% in 2023, reaching US$ 156 million.
- In 2022, Brazil exported 142 million pairs of footwear, averaging US$ 6.50 per pair.
- Footwear exports from Rio Grande do Sul state hit US$ 280 million in 2023, 27% of national total.
- Leather footwear exports from Brazil declined 5.2% in volume to 78 million pairs in 2023.
- Sports footwear exports surged 25% in value to US$ 120 million in the first half of 2023.
- Brazil's footwear export FOB price averaged US$ 7.18 per pair in December 2023.
- Exports to the US reached 28 million pairs in 2023, up 14%.
- Footwear exports to Bolivia grew 32% to US$ 45 million in 2023.
- Average export volume per month was 11.8 million pairs in 2023.
- Exports of women's sandals from Brazil hit 15 million pairs in 2023.
- Paraguay imported US$ 52 million in Brazilian footwear in 2023.
- Chile received 2.8 million pairs, 8% growth in exports from Brazil.
- Footwear exports to Mexico totaled US$ 18 million in 2023.
- UAE emerged as top Middle East market with US$ 12 million in 2023.
- Exports in February 2024: 13.2 million pairs worth US$ 43 million.
- Exports to EU countries: US$ 165 million in 2023.
- Footwear exports to Peru: 1.5 million pairs 2023.
- Exports to Canada: US$ 25 million in 2023.
- Footwear exports September 2023: 12.8 million pairs.
Export Statistics Interpretation
Brazil's footwear industry is striding confidently onto the global stage, packing 1.2 billion dollars worth of style into over 140 million pairs annually, with the US and Argentina leading a loyal pack of international customers.
Import Statistics
- Brazil imported 28.4 million pairs of footwear in 2023, valued at US$ 512 million.
- China supplied 62% of Brazil's footwear imports in 2023, totaling 17.6 million pairs.
- Vietnam's footwear exports to Brazil reached US$ 98 million in 2023, up 22%.
- Footwear imports into Brazil grew 15.3% in value during the first nine months of 2023.
- Synthetic footwear imports from Asia accounted for 45% of Brazil's total in 2022.
- In 2023, Brazil's footwear trade deficit narrowed to US$ 120 million from US$ 180 million in 2022.
- Average CIF price of imported footwear to Brazil was US$ 18.05 per pair in 2023.
- Imports of women's footwear from China surged 30% to 8.2 million pairs in 2023.
- Footwear imports via Santos port represented 35% of national total in 2023.
- Imports from Vietnam increased 28% to 6.5 million pairs in 2023.
- Indonesia supplied US$ 35 million in footwear to Brazil in 2023.
- Footwear imports for resale grew 20% to 22 million pairs in 2023.
- Duty-free imports under Mercosul totaled 4.2 million pairs in 2023.
- Average import tax on footwear was 20% effective rate in 2023.
- Footwear from India rose 15% to US$ 22 million in 2023 imports.
- January 2024 imports hit 2.8 million pairs, up 10% YoY.
- Imports from Bangladesh: US$ 15 million in 2023.
- Footwear imports Q1 2024: 7.5 million pairs.
- Imports from EU: US$ 40 million 2023.
Import Statistics Interpretation
Brazil's footwear market is stomping out its deficit by stepping up a tidal wave of cheaper, synthetic imports from Asia, particularly a dominant China and a surging Vietnam, while leaving domestic shoemakers to wonder if the local industry is getting walked all over.
Market and Consumption Statistics
- Brazil's footwear market revenue reached R$ 45 billion in 2022.
- Domestic footwear consumption in Brazil totaled 1,120 million pairs in 2023.
- E-commerce sales of footwear grew 25% to R$ 8.2 billion in Brazil in 2023.
- Women's footwear segment holds 42% market share in Brazil's retail sales.
- Per capita footwear consumption in Brazil was 5.3 pairs annually in 2022.
- Casual footwear sales increased 12% in volume during 2023 in Brazil.
- Footwear retail outlets number over 45,000 across Brazil in 2023.
- Inflation-adjusted footwear prices rose 4.5% in Brazil in 2023.
- Sports footwear market value hit R$ 12 billion in Brazil in 2022.
- Online footwear sales penetration reached 18% of total retail in 2023.
- Footwear market grew 7.2% to R$ 48.3 billion in 2023.
- Men's footwear consumption rose 9% to 380 million pairs in 2023.
- Footwear retail sales volume up 6.5% in Q4 2023.
- Luxury footwear segment valued at R$ 2.5 billion in 2022.
- Sustainable footwear sales grew 35% to R$ 1.8 billion in 2023.
- Footwear spending per household averaged R$ 450 annually in 2022.
- Children's footwear market share was 15% of total consumption.
- Black Friday footwear sales hit R$ 1.2 billion in 2023.
- Apparel-integrated footwear sales up 11% in 2023.
- Vegan footwear market: R$ 900 million in Brazil 2023.
- Sneakers consumption: 250 million pairs annually in Brazil.
- Footwear wholesale revenue: R$ 32 billion 2023.
- Flip-flops domestic sales: 400 million pairs yearly.
- Footwear market forecast 2024: R$ 52 billion.
Market and Consumption Statistics Interpretation
While Brazil's footwear market is walking tall with over a billion pairs sold and booming e-commerce, it's clear the nation is putting its best foot forward, one sustainable sneaker and pricey flip-flop at a time.
Production Statistics
- Brazil's footwear industry produced 1,248 million pairs in 2022, a 5.2% increase from 2021 driven by recovery in domestic demand.
- In 2023, Brazilian footwear production reached 972 million pairs in the first nine months, up 16.3% year-over-year.
- The state of Rio Grande do Sul accounted for 155.2 million pairs of footwear produced in 2022, representing 12.4% of national output.
- São Paulo state produced 224 million pairs of footwear in 2022, comprising 18% of Brazil's total production.
- Brazil's leather footwear production totaled 678 million pairs in 2022, down 2.1% from the previous year.
- Non-leather footwear production in Brazil surged to 570 million pairs in 2022, up 14.8% annually.
- In January 2024, Brazil produced 85.6 million pairs of footwear, a 2.1% decline from January 2023.
- The Brazilian footwear sector utilized 75% of its installed capacity in 2022, focusing on efficiency improvements.
- Over 3,000 factories operate in Brazil's footwear industry, with an average output of 416,000 pairs per factory in 2022.
- Rubber footwear production in Brazil reached 120 million pairs in 2022, primarily from the Northeast region.
- Brazil's footwear production grew 2.8% in February 2024 to 82.4 million pairs.
- Ceará state produced 112 million pairs of footwear in 2022, 9% of national total.
- Textile-based footwear output increased 20% to 250 million pairs in 2023.
- Installed production capacity in Brazil's footwear sector is 1.8 billion pairs yearly.
- Men's footwear production totaled 320 million pairs in 2022.
- Children's footwear output fell 3.1% to 85 million pairs in 2023.
- March 2024 production was 88.7 million pairs, up 4.3% YoY.
- Plastic footwear production totaled 180 million pairs in 2023.
- Footwear production in Bahia state: 45 million pairs 2022.
- April 2023 production peak at 95 million pairs monthly.
- Leather processing for footwear: 120 million sqm in 2022.
- Production of boots: 45 million pairs 2022.
- Eco-friendly materials use: 25% in production 2023.
Production Statistics Interpretation
While domestic demand put a spring back in the industry's step, Brazil's footwear sector is clearly walking a fine line between leather's traditional stride and a surging sprint toward non-leather alternatives, all while trying to keep its production capacity from tripping over monthly volatility.
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