Gitnux/Report 2026

Denim Industry Statistics

Find out how denim is shifting fast, with 2025 and 2026 figures that reveal where demand is growing and where old assumptions no longer hold. This page connects the industry’s biggest trade, production, and consumer signals into a single, punchy snapshot.
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November 10, 2026Updated
Denim Industry Statistics
Megan GallagherWritten by Megan Gallagher·Edited by Thomas Lindqvist·Fact-checked by Claire Beaumont
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The denim industry at a glance

The global denim jeans market was valued at $91.2 billion in 2025 and is forecast to expand at a 5.9% CAGR through 2033, supported by durable everyday demand and premiumization.

$91.2B[54]
Global market size, 2025
5.9%[54]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2033
84.9%[55]
EU net import reliance, 2025
85%[28]
Consumers enjoying denim, 2024
Market size
The global denim jeans market was valued at $91.2 billion in 2025 and is estimated at $96.1 billion in 2026. The North American denim jeans market was valued at $27.5 billion in 2025.[54][28]
Forecast & CAGR
The global denim jeans market is forecast to grow at a 5.9% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2033, reaching $146.3 billion by 2033. A separate denim-market estimate projects 6.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2033, reaching $35.9 billion, reflecting differences in market scope.[54][56]
Market share & regions
North America was valued at $27.5 billion in 2025, while the EU imported €2.52 billion of men's cotton denim jeans in 2025. EU net import reliance reached 84.9% in 2025, showing that the bloc now sources most men's denim jeans from outside its borders.[28][55]
Segmentation
Jeans represented 45.2% of denim-market revenue in 2025, while denim jumpsuits were identified as the fastest-growing segment, with a projected 9.1% CAGR. Consumer segmentation also remains strongly linked to fit, comfort, quality and durability: 87% of surveyed consumers rated fit important and 85% rated comfort important in the 2024 global denim survey.[56][28]
Key players & concentration
Major global denim players include Levi Strauss & Co., Kontoor Brands, Gap, Fast Retailing, Inditex and H&M. Levi Strauss reported that the Levi's brand generated 94% of company net revenue in 2025 and described it as the world's number-one denim brand; no reliable public source identified a definitive global industry concentration ratio.[40][18]
Pricing
EU imports of denim fabric averaged €6,308 per tonne in 2025, while EU exports averaged €9,138 per tonne, a premium of roughly 45% for exports. For men's denim jeans, the EU import unit price was €15,906 per tonne in 2025, down 5.8% from 2015.[55]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is supported by comfort, versatility, durability and renewed interest in wider and straight-leg fits, while sustainability and traceability are increasing compliance costs. Cotton supply remains a challenge: USDA forecast the 2025/26 average U.S. upland cotton farm price at 60 cents per pound, down from 63.2 cents in 2024/25, while U.S. cotton production was projected at 14.6 million bales for 2025/26.[28][57][58]
Consumer behavior & competition
In Cotton Incorporated's 2024 global survey, 85% of consumers said they love or enjoy wearing denim and respondents owned 10 pairs of jeans on average. Shopping remained omnichannel: 45% bought all or mostly in physical stores, 43% shopped equally in-store and online, and 12% bought all or mostly online.[28]
M&A
Authentic Brands Group signed an agreement in May 2026 to acquire Lee from Kontoor Brands, expanding its denim brand portfolio. In September 2025, Artistic Milliners acquired a majority stake in Cone Denim from Elevate Textiles, strengthening vertical integration in denim manufacturing.[15]
Regulation
The European Commission identifies textile apparel as a priority product group under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation's 2025–2030 working plan. The EU Digital Product Passport framework is expected to cover textiles, with textiles listed among the product groups targeted for 2027 implementation and requirements focused on information such as material composition, durability and sustainability.[59][60]
Latest news
In 2026, Authentic Brands Group announced its agreement to acquire Lee and outlined plans to expand the brand into activewear, workwear and broader lifestyle categories. Levi Strauss reported $1.8 billion in fourth-quarter 2025 revenue, up 1% reported and 5% organically, with Europe up 8% reported and 10% organically.[15][22]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Denim Industry

The leading companies in the denim industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 7, 2026 · Next review December 7, 2026

Verdict

Kontoor Brands leads Gitnux's 2026 denim ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with $2.66 billion combined Wrangler and Lee global revenue in 2025. Arvind is the highest-ranked integrated denim and textile manufacturer at 9.2, with about 15 million jeans produced annually for global brands.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in denim brand ownership

    Kontoor Brands

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Denim brand ownership

    Why we picked it: Global Wrangler and Lee denim brand owner with 2025 revenue of $2.66 billion and 20.9% growth.

    See in ranking ↓Visit kontoorbrands.com ↗

  2. Leader in denim & textile manufacturing

    Arvind

    IN

    Ranked #2 · 9.2 · Denim & textile manufacturing

    Why we picked it: Integrated Indian denim and textile manufacturer producing roughly 15 million jeans annually for global brands.

    See in ranking ↓Visit arvind.com ↗

  3. Leader in denim fabric production

    Vicunha

    BR

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Denim fabric production

    Why we picked it: Global denim and denim-colour fabric producer serving as one of the three largest denim producers worldwide.

    See in ranking ↓Visit vicunha.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the denim industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Kontoor Brands

Denim brand ownership · US

9.3
2

Arvind

Denim & textile manufacturing · IN

9.2
3

Vicunha

Denim fabric production · BR

8.9
4

OTB Group

Premium denim group · IT

8.7
5

Artistic Milliners

Denim & textile manufacturing · PK

8.6
6

Levi Strauss & Co

Global jeanswear brand owner and apparel group · US

8.5
7

Advance Denim

Chinese denim fabric manufacturer · CN

8.4
8

Candiani Denim

Premium Italian denim fabric mill · IT

7.9
9

Tejidos Royo

Spanish denim and technical fabric producer · ES

7.9
10

True Religion

Premium denim brand owner and apparel company · US

7.9

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 7, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the denim industry. In Denim Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/denim-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Automation and analytics show up as labor and time reductions, including reported production-time cuts from 36 minutes to 20 or 11 minutes in denim scenarios.

Automation in the denim industry

  • About 50% of abrasive-finishing labor could be reduced through abrasive robots and laser-finishing technologies in a denim-manufacturing scenario; global jeans example, 2017 baseline.[1]
  • 21%–46% of total labor could be reduced through automated or semi-automated sewing in two denim-manufacturing scenarios; global jeans example, 2017 baseline.[1]
  • 40%–70% of labor time per pair of jeans could be reduced through automation, cutting production time from 36 minutes to 20 or 11 minutes in two scenarios; global denim example, 2017 baseline.[1]
  • Around 90% of sewing labor time could be reduced through sewing robotics in the optimistic denim-manufacturing scenario; global jeans example, 2017 baseline.[1]

Digital Transformation in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 4.8% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted digital-twin technology in 2023.[2]
  • 65% of textile companies in the 2023 sample had a website, according to analysis of company websites in the EU textile ecosystem.[2]
  • 26% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU reported having a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[2]
  • 38.3% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU used online platforms in 2023.[2]

Technology Adoption in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 58% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used enterprise resource planning software in 2023.[3]
  • 54% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used product-lifecycle-management software in 2023.[3]
  • 68% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used an online payment platform in 2023.[3]
  • 58% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used supply-chain-management software in 2023.[3]
  • 44% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used warehouse-management systems in 2023.[3]
  • 40% of North American fashion and apparel manufacturers used electronic data interchange in 2023.[3]

Cloud Computing in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 48% of apparel organizations with revenue of $100 million or more were in the process of moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 33% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU used cloud technology in 2024.[2]
  • 19% of apparel organizations with revenue of $100 million or more had already moved to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 16% of apparel organizations with revenue below $100 million had already moved to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 32.3% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted cloud technologies in 2023.[4]
  • 39% of apparel organizations with revenue below $100 million were in the process of moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]

Big Data in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 52% of surveyed Indian companies said they were likely or very likely to adopt Big Data analytics within five years in 2023; the report identifies textile companies among respondents.[5]
  • 12% of companies in the European textile ecosystem reported Big Data adoption in 2024, based on the EMI Enterprise Survey.[2]
  • 12.8% of European textile SMEs had adopted Big Data and related data analytics in 2023, according to the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems survey.[2]
  • 12% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU used big-data technology in 2024.[2]
  • 12.8% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted big-data technologies in 2023.[2]

IoT in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 64% of surveyed Indian companies said they were likely or very likely to adopt aspects of IoT within five years in 2023; the report identifies textile companies among respondents.[5]
  • 14% of European textile SMEs reported using Internet of Things technologies in 2023, according to the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems survey.[2]
  • 14% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU used Internet of Things technology in 2023.[2]
  • 20% of companies in the European textile ecosystem reported Internet of Things adoption in 2024, up from 14% in 2023.[2]
  • 32.26% of textile-industry respondents in an Asia-Pacific survey reported moderate integration of smart technologies such as IoT and production data analytics in 2026.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data deployment connects to commercial outcomes: Buffalo Jeans reported 10-fold online-sales growth in 24 months after implementing customer-behavior analytics.

Business intelligence in the denim industry

  • 50% operational-cost reduction was reported in the Wipro case study of a leading global denim company’s process transformation.[7]
  • 98% revenue-forecast accuracy was enabled for a global apparel major described as a leading global denim company after deploying business-process and analytics tools.[7]
  • 50% of staff time had previously been consumed by manual data extraction and consolidation at the global denim company in a Wipro case study.[7]

Data analytics in the denim industry

  • 3,000 locations across 18 countries were served by Buffalo Jeans when it deployed integrated customer-behavior and product-recommendation analytics.[8]
  • 10-fold online-sales growth was achieved by Buffalo Jeans in 24 months after implementing customer-behavior analytics, marketing automation and real-time product recommendations.[8]

Data Quality in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 79% of yarn-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[9]
  • 46% of fashion and apparel businesses had visibility into Tier 4 raw-material suppliers in 2025, according to a global industry survey.[10]
  • 75% of fabric-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[9]
  • 44% of fashion and apparel businesses verified their current traceability data in 2025, based on a survey of more than 450 industry professionals globally.[10]
  • 77% of raw-material-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[9]
  • 51% of garment-level textile firms could report process input and output volumes at batch level in 2025 across the surveyed Global South markets.[9]

Data Governance in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 38% of surveyed textile firms in the Global South used recognized industry standards for data sharing in 2025, while 44% used none and 18% were unsure.[9]
  • 45% of textile firms not affected by the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation reported using industry data-sharing standards in 2025.[9]
  • 30% of textile firms using recognized data-sharing standards reported using ISO/IEC 27001 in 2025, making it the most commonly cited standard.[9]
  • 83% of surveyed textile firms in the Global South actively shared product-related data with suppliers in 2025, while 17% had not adopted this practice.[9]
  • 52% of textile firms affected by the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation reported using industry data-sharing standards in 2025.[9]
  • 32% of raw-material suppliers in the surveyed textile supply chains used recognized data-sharing standards in 2025, compared with 55% that used none.[9]

KPIs in the denim industry

  • 27% of denim-finishing processes were still classified as high chemical impact in the 2025 EIM industry assessment.[11]
  • 30 litres per metre was the average water consumption per denim garment reported in the 2025 EIM Denim Industry Progress & Insights report.[11]
  • 85% of denim-finishing processes were classified as low impact for energy in the 2025 EIM industry assessment.[11]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Portfolios and circularity are driving execution. Levi Strauss targeted 6%–8% annual long-term net-revenue growth, and redesigned-jeans outputs reached 1.5 million pairs between 2021 and 2023.

Growth in the denim industry

  • 6%–8% is Levi Strauss & Co.’s targeted annual long-term net-revenue growth rate.[12]
  • 27% was the share of Mavi revenue from All Blue products and Better Cotton products in 2024, up from 25%.[13]

Differentiation in the denim industry

  • 87% was the maximum post-consumer recycled content incorporated into participating redesigned jeans while meeting durability guidelines.[14]
  • 67% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s total units sold were pants, including jeans, casual pants, dress pants and activewear, in fiscal 2024.[12]

Mergers and acquisitions in the denim industry

  • A majority stake in Cone Denim was acquired by Artistic Milliners in September 2025; the transaction value was undisclosed.[15]
  • $750 million was the initial transaction value in Authentic Brands Group’s acquisition of Lee Jeans from Kontoor Brands in 2025, with a potential $250 million earn-out.[16]
  • $311 million was the reported value of Authentic Brands Group’s 2025 acquisition of Dockers from Levi Strauss & Co.[17]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce programs and hybrid policies appear alongside digital transformation results. In 2025, 23% of surveyed manufacturers updated hybrid policies for required office days.

Hiring in the denim industry

  • 4,100 Levi Strauss & Co. employees were represented by a labor union or covered by collective bargaining agreements at November 30, 2025; global company workforce.[18]
  • 11,300 Levi Strauss & Co. employees worked in retail, including seasonal employees, at November 30, 2025; global company workforce.[18]
  • 19,000 people were employed by Levi Strauss & Co. at November 30, 2025, including approximately 900 in manufacturing and product procurement; global company workforce.[18]

Remote Work in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. manufacturers, 95% of employees with work flexibility use it, according to a 2024 member survey covering operations and production roles.[19]
  • Among non-manager manufacturing employees able to work remotely, 67% can work from home two days per week, according to a 2024 member survey.[19]
  • In a global survey of more than 1,000 fashion professionals, 65% identified flexible working policies as the most important employer benefit.[20]
  • In 2024, 15% of non-factory-floor employees at surveyed global manufacturers worked fully remotely, compared with 8% of factory-floor employees.[21]

Hybrid Work in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among fashion and beauty professionals globally, 52% preferred a hybrid schedule with two or three days in the office.[20]
  • In 2025, 23% of surveyed manufacturers were actively updating hybrid policies to add more structure around required office days.[19]
  • Among global manufacturers in 2024, 42% of non-factory-floor employees worked in hybrid arrangements, compared with 10% of factory-floor employees.[21]
  • Across surveyed manufacturers in 2025, 79% operated a hybrid model for non-production employees, while 17% were fully back in the office.[19]

Upskilling in the denim industry

  • 75 diversity-training workshops and learning sessions were offered by Levi Strauss & Co. in 2021; global corporate and retail populations.[22]
  • 12,926 active global learners participated in Levi Strauss & Co. diversity training in 2021; corporate and retail populations.[22]
  • 87% was the global completion rate for Levi Strauss & Co. diversity training in 2021; corporate and retail populations.[22]
  • 20+ languages were used to translate Levi Strauss & Co. diversity training in 2021; global employee training program.[22]

Employee Engagement in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Fast Retailing reported a 78.0% overall employee-engagement index in its fiscal 2025 survey, covering 36,827 respondents globally.[23]
  • Burberry reported a colleague engagement score of 74 points in its fiscal 2023/24 Glint survey.[24]
  • NEXT Group reported a 75% overall employee-engagement score in 2025/26, exceeding its cited UK fashion-retail benchmark of 64%.[25]
  • H&M Group reported an employee satisfaction score of 76 out of 100 in 2024, up from 75 in 2023.[26]
  • Global Fashion Group reported that 76% of employees would recommend it as a great place to work in its 2025 engagement survey.[27]

DEI in the denim industry

  • 36.8% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s U.S. frontline workers were Latinx in 2021; U.S. workforce.[22]
  • 55.4% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s corporate employees were women in 2021; global workforce.[22]
  • 20.5% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s U.S. frontline workers were Black in 2021; U.S. workforce.[22]
  • 58.2% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s frontline workers were women in 2021; global workforce.[22]
  • 61.5% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s executive leadership team were women in 2021; global workforce.[22]

Change Management in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed fashion and apparel companies, 75% were already on a digital-transformation journey and reporting positive results in 2023.[3]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 40% improvement in procurement KPIs to digital transformation, according to a 2023 industry survey.[3]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 37% improvement in analytics and business-intelligence KPIs to digital transformation in a 2023 survey.[3]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 35% improvement in inventory and warehousing KPIs to digital transformation in a 2023 survey.[3]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 39% improvement in sales and customer-service on-time-in-full KPIs to digital transformation in 2023.[3]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Denim purchase drivers cluster around fit, comfort, quality, and durability in 2024 survey results, with 85% enjoying denim and 88% rating fit very important.

Customer experience in the denim industry

  • 35% of U.S. denim consumers said they purchase jeans in physical stores because they like to touch and feel them before purchase; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 51% of U.S. denim consumers said finding the right size and fit was a reason to purchase jeans in a physical store; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 51% of U.S. denim consumers said they like to try jeans before buying them; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 39% of U.S. denim consumers said better deals or promotions were a reason to purchase jeans online; 2024 survey.[28]

Customer retention in the denim industry

  • 43% of U.S. consumers who wore jeans more often said they had more occasions to wear denim jeans; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 51% of U.S. consumers who wore jeans more often said comfort was a reason; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 46% of U.S. consumers said they had been wearing their jeans the same amount in recent years, while 41% said they were wearing jeans more often; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 49% of U.S. consumers who wore jeans more often said jeans look good with everything; 2024 survey.[28]

Customer acquisition in the denim industry

  • 27% of U.S. denim consumers cited social media as a source of inspiration for purchasing jeans; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 35% of U.S. denim consumers cited what is offered in stores they shop as a source of inspiration for purchasing jeans; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 22% of U.S. denim consumers cited friends or family as a source of inspiration for purchasing jeans; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 28% of U.S. denim consumers cited online retailers as a source of inspiration for purchasing jeans; 2024 survey.[28]

Customer loyalty in the denim industry

  • 82% of U.S. denim consumers rated long-lasting durability as very important to their jeans purchase decision; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 78% of U.S. denim consumers rated affordability or value as very important to their jeans purchase decision; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 88% of U.S. denim consumers rated fit as very important to their jeans purchase decision; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 83% of U.S. denim consumers rated quality as very important to their jeans purchase decision; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 88% of U.S. denim consumers rated comfort as very important to their jeans purchase decision; 2024 survey.[28]

Lead generation in the denim industry

  • 32% of U.S. denim consumers said they shop for jeans because of a change of season; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 33% of U.S. denim consumers said they shop for jeans for a new style; 2024 survey.[28]
  • 11 pairs of denim jeans were owned on average by U.S. consumers in the 2024 Cotton Incorporated Global Denim Survey; U.S. survey market.[28]
  • 37% of U.S. denim consumers said they shop for jeans to replace old jeans; 2024 survey.[28]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Digital campaign signals quantify engagement and reach. Blue Jeans Go Green generated 59.9 million-plus impressions in 2024.

Marketing in the denim industry

  • 97% of U.S. consumers rated fit very important in denim-jeans purchase decisions in 2024.[28]
  • $21.5 billion is the projected U.S. denim-jeans market value in 2028, up from $18.3 billion in 2023.[28]
  • 93% of U.S. consumers rated comfort very important in denim-jeans purchase decisions in 2024.[28]
  • 96% of U.S. consumers rated quality very important in denim-jeans purchase decisions in 2024.[28]

Digital marketing in the denim industry

  • 20% of U.S. consumers used YouTube for ideas about denim jeans they might purchase in 2024.[28]
  • 22% of U.S. consumers used TikTok for ideas about denim jeans they might purchase in 2024.[28]
  • 30% of U.S. consumers used Instagram for ideas about denim jeans they might purchase in 2024.[28]
  • 3,000 new visitors reached the Blue Jeans Go Green website during a 2024 campaign flight.[29]

Branding in the denim industry

  • 6% of U.S. consumers named Lee their favorite denim-jeans brand in 2024.[28]
  • 32% of U.S. consumers named Levi’s their favorite denim-jeans brand in 2024.[28]
  • 6% of U.S. consumers named American Eagle their favorite denim-jeans brand in 2024.[28]
  • 11% of U.S. consumers named Wrangler their favorite denim-jeans brand in 2024.[28]

Social media in the denim industry

  • 4.7% was the engagement rate for a Blue Jeans Go Green digital campaign reaching 60,117 users in 2024.[29]
  • 59.9 million-plus impressions were generated by the Blue Jeans Go Green Real Denim Stories campaign in 2024.[29]
  • 30.7 million impressions came from Meta platforms during the Blue Jeans Go Green campaign in 2024.[29]
  • 29.2 million impressions came from TikTok during the Blue Jeans Go Green campaign in 2024.[29]

Influencer Marketing in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 1.21 trillion impressions were generated by fashion influencer content globally in 2023, primarily on Instagram.[30]
  • 76% of fashion earned media value was generated by affordable fashion brands globally in 2025.[31]
  • $15.1 billion in earned media value was generated by the top 100 global fashion brands in 2025.[31]
  • 1.53% was the average engagement rate for fashion influencer content in 2023, rising to 2.26% on TikTok.[30]
  • 25% of fashion earned media value came from TikTok globally in 2025, following 45.2% year-over-year growth in TikTok fashion earned media value.[31]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Denim impact measurement uses water and energy per kilogram and large benchmarking datasets. In 2024, EIM analyzed 115,882 denim-finishing processes.

Process optimization in the denim industry

  • 2 environmental-impact dimensions explicitly measured per denim process are water and energy consumption, with results normalized per kilogram of garments.[32]
  • 115,882 denim-finishing processes were analyzed in EIM’s 2024 benchmarking dataset.[11]
  • 337 denim manufacturers contributed anonymous process data to EIM’s 2024 benchmarking report.[11]
  • Over 115,000 denim processes were analyzed in Jeanologia’s 2024 denim-finishing report.[32]

Operational efficiency in the denim industry

  • 61.7% was Levi Strauss’s gross margin in fiscal 2025, 110 basis points above fiscal 2024.[33]
  • $100 million in 2024 cost savings was identified by Levi Strauss through its Project Fuel productivity initiative.[34]
  • 43.7% was Kontoor Brands’ reported gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2024.[18]
  • 20.3% was Wrangler’s 2024 operating margin, compared with 17.5% for Lee.[35]

Quality management in the denim industry

  • 82% of global consumers rated denim-jeans durability very important to purchase decisions in Cotton Incorporated’s 2024 survey.[28]
  • 88% of global consumers rated denim-jeans comfort very important to purchase decisions in 2024.[28]
  • 88% of global consumers rated denim-jeans fit very important to purchase decisions in 2024.[28]
  • 83% of global consumers rated denim-jeans quality very important to purchase decisions in 2024.[28]

Supply chain in the denim industry

  • 36% of U.S. consumers bought denim jeans equally in stores and online in 2024.[28]
  • Over 100 brands and retailers used the EIM ecosystem to assess denim-finishing impacts in 2024.[36]
  • 54% of U.S. consumers bought denim jeans all or mostly in physical stores in 2024.[28]
  • More than 500 laundries and production centers used EIM to assess and reduce denim supply-chain impacts in 2024.[36]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among 67 surveyed apparel and footwear brands globally, approximately 7% reported mature practices across strategic sourcing, collaborative supply planning, and proactive supplier management.[37]
  • Among U.S. fashion companies, 60% sourced less than 10% of their apparel products from China in 2025.[38]
  • Across U.S. fashion companies, 46 countries were used as apparel sourcing destinations in 2025.[38]
  • Among U.S. fashion companies, more than 80% planned to further reduce apparel sourcing from China over the following two years through 2027.[38]
  • Among large U.S. fashion companies with 1,000+ employees, approximately 60% sourced apparel from at least 10 countries in 2025.[38]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing and margin pressure translate into reported gross-margin movements. Levi Strauss’s fiscal 2025 gross margin was 61.7%.

Pricing strategy in the denim industry

  • Retail denim prices averaged 4–8 times the factory FOB price in European markets, according to CBI’s market-entry guidance.[39]
  • $61 was the average price U.S. consumers paid for a pair of denim jeans in 2024.[28]
  • 82% of U.S. consumers rated affordability or value very important to denim-jeans purchase decisions in 2024.[28]
  • 51% of U.S. consumers cited better deals or promotions as an online reason for purchasing denim jeans in 2024.[28]

Cost reduction in the denim industry

  • 3.5 percentage points was Levi Strauss’s fourth-quarter 2024 gross-margin increase, attributed partly to lower product costs and Project Fuel savings.[33]
  • $100 million in 2024 savings was targeted by Levi Strauss through Project Fuel’s productivity and process-optimization program.[34]
  • 2 percentage points was Kontoor Brands’ reported gross-margin increase in the fourth quarter of 2024.[18]
  • 60 basis points was the adjusted gross-margin decline Kontoor Brands reported for 2023 after excluding a duty charge, despite pricing and lower air-freight costs.[18]

Profitability in the denim industry

  • $89.7 million was Lee’s segment profit in 2024.[18]
  • $502.0 million was Levi Strauss’s net income from continuing operations in fiscal 2025.[40]
  • 61.7% was Levi Strauss’s fiscal-2025 gross margin.[33]
  • $366.3 million was Wrangler’s segment profit in 2024.[18]

Financial planning in the denim industry

  • $2.61 billion was Kontoor Brands’ total net revenue in 2024.[18]
  • 6% was Lee’s global revenue decline in 2024.[18]
  • $6.3 billion was Levi Strauss’s reported net revenue in fiscal 2025, up 4% from fiscal 2024.[33]
  • 3% was Wrangler’s global revenue growth in 2024.[18]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Circular business models are documented through resale and repair participation. In 2023, 29% of participating brands offered resale and 24% offered repair services.

Product development in the denim industry

  • 72% of Jeans Redesign participants overcame design challenges to make jeans that met the project’s circular-design guidelines by 2023.[41]
  • 11% of participating brands redesigned at least 40% of their jeans portfolio to meet Jeans Redesign guidelines by 2023.[41]
  • 1.5 million pairs of redesigned jeans were brought to market by participating brands between 2021 and 2023, incorporating greater durability, traceability and recyclability.[41]

Product lifecycle in the denim industry

  • 57% of a denim jean’s life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions occur during consumer use in a Levi Strauss life-cycle assessment summarized by BSR.[42]
  • 60% of U.S. consumers say they donate worn-out jeans to charity or a thrift store, while 13% repurpose them, according to a 2025 survey.[28]
  • 8 years is the average period U.S. consumers keep a pair of denim jeans, with average use of 3 wears per week, according to a 2025 survey.[28]
  • 2% of a denim jean’s life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions occur at end of life in a Levi Strauss life-cycle assessment summarized by BSR.[42]

Value proposition in the denim industry

  • $47 was the average amount U.S. consumers spent on a pair of jeans in 2025.[28]
  • 85% of U.S. consumers say they love or enjoy wearing denim jeans, according to Cotton Incorporated’s 2024 Global Denim Survey.[28]
  • 80% of U.S. consumers prefer denim made from cotton or cotton blends, compared with 11% preferring other natural fibers and 9% man-made fibers.[28]
  • 60% of U.S. consumers look at fiber content on clothing labels for sustainability information, according to a 2023 sustainability survey.[28]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability metrics track both process impacts and consumer use. The average water consumption per denim garment reported in 2025 was 30 litres per metre.

Sustainability in the denim industry

  • 75% was the reported reduction in water use for a denim pair at Gonser Denim Revolution after treatment and recycling improvements.[43]
  • 87% of participating Jeans Redesign participants reduced denim-fabric water use below the 30-litre-per-metre threshold, averaging 18.84 litres per metre.[14]
  • 96% of participating fabric mills kept denim-fabric water use at or below 30 litres per metre in the 2021–2023 Jeans Redesign assessment.[14]
  • 100% of participating fabric mills met the minimum ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines standard in the 2021–2023 Jeans Redesign assessment.[14]

ESG in the denim industry

  • 100% of participating fabric mills met the minimum ZDHC wastewater standard in the 2021–2023 Jeans Redesign assessment, covering an environmental and worker-health risk metric.[14]
  • 85% of denim-finishing processes were classified as low energy impact in the 2025 EIM Denim Industry Progress & Insights assessment.[11]
  • 27% of denim-finishing processes were classified as high chemical impact in the 2025 EIM Denim Industry Progress & Insights assessment.[11]

Ethics in the denim industry

  • 100% of participating fabric mills met the minimum ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines standard in the 2021–2023 Jeans Redesign assessment, addressing hazardous-chemical discharge risks.[14]
  • 72% of Jeans Redesign participants overcame design challenges to meet project guidelines that included safer materials and processes by 2023.[41]

CSR in the denim industry

  • 13% of U.S. consumers repurpose worn-out jeans into other products such as shorts, patches or crafts.[28]
  • 10% of U.S. consumers recycle worn-out jeans through a textile-recycling program.[28]
  • 60% of U.S. consumers donate worn-out jeans to charity or thrift stores, indicating the scale of the social and community channel associated with denim reuse.[28]

Circular economy in the denim industry

  • 72% of Jeans Redesign participants produced jeans meeting the project’s circular-design guidelines by 2023.[41]
  • 10% of U.S. consumers recycle worn-out jeans through textile-recycling programs, according to Cotton Incorporated’s 2025 survey.[28]
  • 1.5 million pairs of redesigned jeans were brought to market by participating brands between 2021 and 2023.[41]
  • 4% of U.S. consumers compost worn-out jeans when they are made from 100% natural fibers.[28]

Carbon footprint in the denim industry

  • 4.7 billion cubic metres of virtual water were embodied in global denim trade in 2018, down from 5.6 billion cubic metres in 2001.[44]
  • 33.4 kilograms of CO2 was the estimated carbon footprint of producing one pair of denim jeans in a 2022 life-cycle study.[45]
  • 3,781 litres of water were consumed to produce one pair of denim jeans in a 2022 life-cycle study.[45]
  • 16.0 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions were embodied in global denim trade in 2018, up from 14.8 million tonnes in 2001.[44]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border sourcing remains central: EU net import reliance is 84.9% in 2025 and worldwide denim-fabric exports show China at 43.2% in 2025.

Globalization in the denim industry

  • 43.2% of worldwide denim-fabric exports came from China in 2025.[50]
  • 1,276 company-operated Levi’s, Dockers and Beyond Yoga stores operated across 39 countries as of December 1, 2024.[51]
  • €4.7 billion was the value of EU denim-product imports from developing countries in 2022.[39]
  • €3.9 billion was the approximate value of international denim-fabric trade in 2025 worldwide.[50]

Supplier management in the denim industry

  • 81% of the cotton used in Mavi denim products came from Preferred Materials and Better Cotton in 2024.[13]
  • 509,000 workers were estimated to be employed in Levi Strauss & Co.’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier factories in fiscal 2021.[22]

Distribution channels in the denim industry

  • 54% of U.S. consumers purchased jeans all or mostly in physical stores in 2024, while 10% purchased all or mostly online.[52]
  • 12% of Kontoor Brands’ net revenue came from direct-to-consumer channels in 2024.[53]
  • 31% of Levi Strauss & Co.’s net revenue came from company-operated brick-and-mortar stores in fiscal 2024.[51]
  • 36% of U.S. consumers purchased jeans equally in-store and online in 2024.[52]

Key questions about the Denim Industry

What is the global denim jeans market size in 2026?
The global denim jeans market is estimated at $96.1 billion in 2026, after $91.2 billion in 2025.
How fast is the denim jeans market expected to grow after 2026?
The global denim jeans market is forecast to grow at a 5.9% CAGR from 2026 to 2033, reaching $146.3 billion by 2033.
Which companies lead the denim industry?
Kontoor Brands leads Gitnux's 2026 denim ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with $2.66 billion combined Wrangler and Lee global revenue in 2025. Arvind is the highest-ranked integrated denim and textile manufacturer at 9.2, with about 15 million jeans produced annually for global brands.
Where does technology change show up most in denim manufacturing?
Process automation targets labor and time, including scenarios where production time drops from 36 minutes to 20 or 11 minutes per pair. Sewing robotics are reported to reduce around 90% of sewing labor time in an optimistic scenario.
How import dependent is denim jeans sourcing in the EU?
EU net import reliance for 2025 is 84.9%. The EU imported €2.52 billion of men's cotton denim jeans in 2025.
What compliance items are shaping denim information requirements?
The EU Digital Product Passport framework is expected to cover textiles, with requirements focused on information such as material composition, durability and sustainability, targeted for 2027 implementation.
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
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Denim Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/denim-industry-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Denim Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/denim-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Denim Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/denim-industry-statistics.

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