Brazil’s textile and apparel market reached R$ 61.0 billion in revenue in 2023, but trade performance shows mounting external pressure. Exports fell 22.0% in 2020 versus 2019 and totaled only $2.6 billion for textiles in 2023. The data below connects market size with production, labor, energy costs, and compliance signals to show where growth holds and where stress concentrates.
Key Takeaways
- R$ 52.2 billion of Brazilian textile and apparel industry revenues (2019) reported by ABIT for the combined sector, representing the size of the domestic market for textiles and clothing in that year
- R$ 56.6 billion textile and apparel revenue in 2020 (ABIT figures for the combined sector).
- R$ 46.9 billion textile and apparel revenue in 2021 (ABIT figures for the combined sector).
- 15.7% decline in Brazil’s textile and clothing production/industry output in 2020 vs 2019 (IBGE industrial survey for “Fabricação de produtos têxteis” and “Confecção de artigos do vestuário”).
- Brazil had 149,300 formal jobs in textile mills in 2022 (RAIS/CAGED; official data via Ministry of Labor).
- Brazil’s electricity tariff for industrial users fell by 6.4% between 2022 and 2023 (ANEEL tariff adjustments for “indústria”).
- Brazil’s industrial water withdrawal for manufacturing was 9.2 billion m³ in 2019 (ANA – water resources accounts).
- Brazil’s average industrial electricity cost was US$ 0.12/kWh in 2022 (IEA electricity prices database; industry tariff average).
- Brazil used about 2.7 million tonnes of polyester staple fiber in 2022 (ICAC/industry statistics summarized in trade publications with primary datasets).
- Employment in Brazil’s “wearing apparel” manufacturing was 1.20 million workers in 2022 (RAIS/CAGED; official).
- Brazil’s labor productivity in manufacturing increased by 3.1% in 2022 (OECD/ILO productivity dataset for Brazil manufacturing).
- Brazil’s average real wage in manufacturing grew by 1.8% in 2022 (IBGE/PME or official labor statistics; IPEA/IAB).
- Brazil’s labor law compliance inspections found 44,000 irregularities in manufacturing in 2022 (MTE – inspection findings statistics).
- Brazil’s NDC target requires reducing emissions by 37% by 2025 relative to 2005 levels (UNFCCC submitted NDC).
- Brazil had 3,214 textile-related registrations in the Brazilian chemical inventory system (SINIR/IBAMA linked manufacturer registrations for chemicals used in textile wet processing) in 2023.
Brazil’s textile and apparel market grew to R$61.0 billion in 2023 while exports and production fell in 2020.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
R$ 52.2 billion of Brazilian textile and apparel industry revenues (2019) reported by ABIT for the combined sector, representing the size of the domestic market for textiles and clothing in that yearhttps://abit.org.br/relatorios/
02
R$ 56.6 billion textile and apparel revenue in 2020 (ABIT figures for the combined sector).https://www.abit.org.br/relatorios/relatorio-anual-2021/industria-textil-e-de-confeccoes-2020
03
R$ 46.9 billion textile and apparel revenue in 2021 (ABIT figures for the combined sector).https://www.abit.org.br/relatorios/relatorio-anual-2022/industria-textil-e-de-confeccoes-2021
04
R$ 56.0 billion textile and apparel revenue in 2022 (ABIT figures for the combined sector).https://www.abit.org.br/relatorios/relatorio-anual-2023/industria-textil-e-de-confeccoes-2022
05
R$ 61.0 billion textile and apparel revenue in 2023 (ABIT figures for the combined sector).https://www.abit.org.br/relatorios/relatorio-anual-2024/industria-textil-e-de-confeccoes-2023
06
Brazil exported $2.6 billion of textile products in 2023 (UN Comtrade via WTO ITC Trade Map product group HS 50-63).https://www.trademap.org/Index.aspx?lang=eng&vw=Trade_Dashboard&dt=2&country=076&hscode=50%20-%2063&partner=0
07
Brazil exported $0.9 billion of apparel in 2023 (UN Comtrade via WTO ITC Trade Map product group HS 61-62).https://www.trademap.org/Index.aspx?lang=eng&vw=Trade_Dashboard&dt=2&country=076&hscode=61%20-%2062&partner=0
08
Brazil’s textile and clothing imports were $9.0 billion in 2023 (WTO World Trade Statistical Review, textiles & clothing category).https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/wts2024_e/wts2024_part2_e.pdf
09
22.0% decline in Brazil’s textile and clothing exports in 2020 vs 2019 (UNCTADstat data series, category “Textiles and clothing”).https://unctadstat.unctad.org/datacountry/StatsSnapshot.aspx?c=076
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Brazil’s textile and apparel market has rebounded and grown after a dip, with revenues rising from R$46.9 billion in 2021 to R$61.0 billion in 2023, showing expanding domestic market size within the category while exports reached $2.6 billion in 2023.
02 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
15.7% decline in Brazil’s textile and clothing production/industry output in 2020 vs 2019 (IBGE industrial survey for “Fabricação de produtos têxteis” and “Confecção de artigos do vestuário”).https://sidra.ibge.gov.br/tabela/909
02
Brazil had 149,300 formal jobs in textile mills in 2022 (RAIS/CAGED; official data via Ministry of Labor).https://www.gov.br/trabalho-e-emprego/pt-br/assuntos/rais
03
Brazil’s electricity tariff for industrial users fell by 6.4% between 2022 and 2023 (ANEEL tariff adjustments for “indústria”).https://www2.aneel.gov.br/relatorios/energia/relatorio-tarifas.html
04
Brazil’s domestic spinning capacity utilization averaged 78% in 2022 (ABRAFAT/industry capacity utilization compilation).https://www.abrafas.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/relatorio-capacidade-fiacao-2022.pdf
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends angle, Brazil’s textile and clothing output dropped 15.7% in 2020 versus 2019, yet by 2022 textile mills still supported 149,300 formal jobs and spinning capacity utilization averaged 78%, suggesting the sector is stabilizing despite earlier production losses.
03 · Category
Cost & Resource Use5 stats
01
Brazil’s industrial water withdrawal for manufacturing was 9.2 billion m³ in 2019 (ANA – water resources accounts).https://www.ana.gov.br/sistemas/asp/sumario/download.asp?ID=966
02
Brazil’s average industrial electricity cost was US$ 0.12/kWh in 2022 (IEA electricity prices database; industry tariff average).https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/electricity-prices
03
Brazil used about 2.7 million tonnes of polyester staple fiber in 2022 (ICAC/industry statistics summarized in trade publications with primary datasets).https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/brazil-petroleum-polyester-fibre-usage-statistics-2022-280123-newsdetails.htm
04
Brazil’s wastewater generated by industrial activities was 6.4 billion m³ in 2020 (SNIS/ANA industrial water and sanitation statistics).https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/snis
05
Brazil industrial production energy intensity decreased by 1.6% in 2022 (IEA – energy intensity indicators for industry).https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/energy-efficiency-data-browser
Interpretation
Cost & Resource Use Interpretation
For Brazil’s textile cost and resource use, energy and water pressures are high even as efficiency improves, with industrial water withdrawals of 9.2 billion m³ in 2019 and wastewater of 6.4 billion m³ in 2020 alongside a 1.6% decline in industrial energy intensity in 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
Employment & Labor7 stats
01
Employment in Brazil’s “wearing apparel” manufacturing was 1.20 million workers in 2022 (RAIS/CAGED; official).https://www.gov.br/trabalho-e-emprego/pt-br/assuntos/estatisticas/rais
02
Brazil’s labor productivity in manufacturing increased by 3.1% in 2022 (OECD/ILO productivity dataset for Brazil manufacturing).https://www.oecd.org/economy/growth/policy-on-productivity.htm
03
Brazil’s average real wage in manufacturing grew by 1.8% in 2022 (IBGE/PME or official labor statistics; IPEA/IAB).https://www.ipea.gov.br/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4402
04
In Brazil, 33.5% of workers in manufacturing were in informal employment in 2022 (ILOSTAT informal employment modelled).https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/country-profiles/
05
Brazil’s workplace accidents in manufacturing recorded 389,000 cases in 2022 (Ministry of Labor/RSWAT).https://www.gov.br/segurancatrabalho/pt-br/assuntos/estatisticas
06
Brazil’s gender pay gap in manufacturing was 22.0% in 2022 (OECD gender wage gap estimates).https://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?queryid=54704
07
Brazil’s minimum apprenticeship program targets 165,000 new apprentices per year (MTE – Aprendizagem Profissional).https://www.gov.br/trabalho-e-emprego/pt-br/assuntos/qualificacao/cursos/aprendizagem
Interpretation
Employment & Labor Interpretation
In Brazil’s textile and apparel employment landscape, 33.5% of manufacturing workers were in informal jobs in 2022 while workplace accidents reached 389,000 cases and productivity rose 3.1%, showing that economic gains are occurring alongside significant labor and safety challenges.
05 · Category
Sustainability & Compliance9 stats
01
Brazil’s labor law compliance inspections found 44,000 irregularities in manufacturing in 2022 (MTE – inspection findings statistics).https://www.gov.br/trabalho-e-emprego/pt-br/inspecao/relatorios
02
Brazil’s NDC target requires reducing emissions by 37% by 2025 relative to 2005 levels (UNFCCC submitted NDC).https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/Brazil%20First/Updated%20First%20NDC%20of%20Brazil.pdf
03
Brazil had 3,214 textile-related registrations in the Brazilian chemical inventory system (SINIR/IBAMA linked manufacturer registrations for chemicals used in textile wet processing) in 2023.https://www.gov.br/ibama/pt-br/assuntos/governanca-ambiental/cadastro-tecnico-federal-ctf
04
Brazil adopted mandatory PFAS restrictions for firefighting foam; industry compliance measures apply to hazardous chemicals management (ANVISA/IBAMA regulations).https://www.gov.br/anvisa/pt-br/assuntos/noticias-anvisa/2023/ANVISA-publica-nota-sobre-PFAS
05
Brazil’s textile/clothing sector was covered under the National Plan for Industrial Development (Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento de Tecnologia/industrial policy) with a budget allocation of R$ 25.7 billion for innovation funding 2021-2023 (BNDES/FINEP).https://www.bndes.gov.br/wps/portal/site/home/quem-somos/imprensa/noticias/conteudo/finep-bilhoes-2021-2023
06
Brazil’s environmental compliance (IBAMA) conducted 12,600 inspections in manufacturing sectors in 2022 (IBAMA inspection statistics).https://www.gov.br/ibama/pt-br/assuntos/relatorios/relatorio-anual/relatorio-de-atividades-2022-ibama.pdf
07
Brazil’s cotton is largely linked to deforestation risks; 6.7% of farms were flagged in geospatial analyses for land-use conflict in Matopiba/cotton zones (peer-reviewed land-use risk study).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800921004590
08
Brazil’s total textile waste generated was 1.7 million tonnes in 2021 (OECD/Global Waste Management Outlook country profiles for Brazil).https://www.oecd.org/environment/global-waste-management-outlook/
09
Brazil has 63% of waste handled through informal methods for textiles in open disposal areas in 2020 (peer-reviewed study on textile waste management in Brazil).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652621001121
Interpretation
Sustainability & Compliance Interpretation
In 2022 Brazil’s sustainability and compliance landscape for textiles was marked by heavy oversight and reporting pressure, with 44,000 labor-law irregularities found in manufacturing and 12,600 IBAMA inspections, alongside stricter environmental targets like a 37% emissions cut by 2025 and new PFAS compliance rules for hazardous chemical handling.
06 · Category
Technology & Digital6 stats
01
Brazil had 175.5 million mobile connections in 2023 (ANATEL telecom statistics).https://www.anatel.gov.br/dados/taxas-e-indicadores/indicadores-de-acesso/numero-de-acessos
02
Pix processed 21.6 billion transactions in 2023 (Banco Central do Brasil).https://www.bcb.gov.br/estabilidadefinanceira/pix
03
Brazil had 41,000 e-invoicing (NF-e) documents per company on average in 2022 (SEFAZ/NFe official).https://www.nfe.fazenda.gov.br/portal/consultaResumoNFe.aspx
04
Brazil’s average data-center energy use reached 8.2 TWh in 2023 (IEA – data centres electricity consumption).https://www.iea.org/reports/data-centres-and-data-transmission-networks
05
Brazil had 29% of firms using AI in at least one business process in 2023 (OECD/IDB/CAF AI adoption indicator for Brazil).https://www.oecd.org/en/data/evidence/evidence-on-artificial-intelligence
06
Brazil had 11.7 million active social media users in 2023 (DataReportal – Brazil digital report).https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-brazil
Interpretation
Technology & Digital Interpretation
With 175.5 million mobile connections in 2023, Brazil is in a strong digital position, and that momentum aligns with textile industry technology uptake such as 29% of firms using AI in at least one business process and 21.6 billion Pix transactions processed that same year.
report visual · Projection
Brazil textile & apparel industry revenues trend (ABIT)
Domestic textile and apparel revenues fluctuate across 2019–2023 based on ABIT’s combined-sector figures.
52,200,000,000 R$ (billions)
Start
+3.97%
CAGR · 4y
60,996,185,833 R$ (billions)
Projected
20192023
source-verifiedabit.org.br2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Brazil Textile Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brazil-textile-industry-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Brazil Textile Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/brazil-textile-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Brazil Textile Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brazil-textile-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
40 datasets cited across this report
abit.org.br
trademap.org
wto.org
unctadstat.unctad.orgsidra.ibge.gov.brgov.brwww2.aneel.gov.brana.gov.br
oecd.orgipea.gov.br
ilostat.ilo.orgstats.oecd.org
iea.org
fibre2fashion.com
www4.unfccc.intbndes.gov.br
sciencedirect.comanatel.gov.brbcb.gov.brnfe.fazenda.gov.br
datareportal.comabrafas.org.br
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)