From multi-billion dollar machinery markets and millions of garments rolling off production lines to a booming resurgence of the craft at home, the knitting industry is a surprisingly vibrant and complex global force that stitches together tradition and high-tech innovation.
Key Takeaways
- The global knitting machinery market size was valued at USD 5.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2023 to 2030
- In 2023, the U.S. knitting mills industry generated approximately $4.5 billion in revenue, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year
- Asia-Pacific dominated the knitting machinery market with a 45% share in 2022, driven by high textile production in China and India
- China produced 12.5 million tons of knitted fabrics in 2022, accounting for 35% of global production
- The U.S. knitting mills produced 450 million square meters of fabric in 2023
- India's knitting sector manufactured 8.2 billion knitted garments in FY2023
- Global employment in knitting industry stood at 12.5 million workers in 2023
- China's knitting sector employed 4.2 million people in 2023
- Bangladesh knitwear factories had 4.1 million workers, 60% women, in FY2023
- 42% of consumers prefer sustainable knitted apparel, up from 32% in 2022
- Online knitting pattern sales grew 25% YoY to $450 million globally in 2023
- 65% of millennials engage in DIY knitting as a hobby in 2023 surveys
- U.S. global knitting exports totaled $2.8 billion in 2023
- China's knitting exports reached $150 billion in 2023, 40% of world total
- Bangladesh knitwear exports grew 10.2% to $45 billion in FY2023
Global knitting industry shows strong growth with Asia leading manufacturing and sustainability trends rising.
Consumer Trends
- 42% of consumers prefer sustainable knitted apparel, up from 32% in 2022
- Online knitting pattern sales grew 25% YoY to $450 million globally in 2023
- 65% of millennials engage in DIY knitting as a hobby in 2023 surveys
- Demand for organic cotton knits rose 18% among U.S. consumers in 2023
- Athleisure knitted wear accounted for 40% of apparel sales in 2023
- 52% of European buyers seek traceable knitting supply chains in 2023
- Hand-knitted scarf demand surged 30% during holidays 2023
- 38% growth in smart knitwear adoption for fitness tracking in 2023
- Vegan yarn knits preferred by 22% of U.K. consumers in 2023
- Custom knitting services online bookings up 45% in 2023
- 70% of Gen Z favors recycled fiber knits per 2023 polls
- Knitted home decor sales increased 15% in Asia-Pacific 2023
- 55% consumers willing to pay 20% premium for ethical knits in 2023
- Seamless knit underwear market consumer share hit 28% in 2023
- DIY knitting kit purchases doubled to 12 million units in U.S. 2023
- 48% of parents buy knitted baby clothes for sustainability in 2023
- Knitwear color preference: neutrals at 62% in fall 2023 collections
- Subscription box for knitting supplies grew to 5 million users globally 2023
- 35% rise in men's knitted sweater demand in 2023
- Eco-labeled knits captured 25% market share in Europe 2023
- Virtual knitting classes attendance up 60% post-2023
- Global knit sock sales per capita: 4.2 pairs in 2023
- 41% consumers use apps for knitting patterns in 2023
- Luxury hand-knit accessories demand +22% among high-income in 2023
Consumer Trends Interpretation
The knitting industry is now a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of sustainability, tech-infused athleisure, and a generational revival of craft, proving that modern consumers are not just buying sweaters but voting for a warmer, more accountable world with every stitch and click.
Employment and Workforce
- Global employment in knitting industry stood at 12.5 million workers in 2023
- China's knitting sector employed 4.2 million people in 2023
- Bangladesh knitwear factories had 4.1 million workers, 60% women, in FY2023
- India's knitting industry workforce totaled 2.8 million in FY2023
- Turkey's knitting mills employed 650,000 workers in 2023
- Vietnam's knitting sector jobs reached 2.5 million in 2023
- U.S. knitting mills had 45,000 employees in 2023, down 1.2% YoY
- Italy's knitting workforce was 120,000 skilled artisans in 2023
- Pakistan employed 1.9 million in knitwear production in 2023
- Indonesia's knitting industry jobs hit 1.7 million in 2023
- Average wage in global knitting sector was $450/month in 2023
- Egypt's knitting factories employed 450,000 workers in 2023
- U.K. knitting employment totaled 25,000 in 2023
- Brazil's knitting workforce was 350,000 in 2023
- South Korea had 180,000 knitting machine operators in 2023
- 35% of global knitting workers were under 25 years old in 2023
- Germany's knitting sector employed 80,000, with 40% trained apprentices
- Cambodia knitting jobs reached 700,000 in 2023, 55% female
- Portugal's knitting employment was 65,000 in 2023
- Sri Lanka employed 350,000 in knitting in 2023
- Average training hours for knitting workers globally: 120 hours/year in 2023
- Morocco's knitting workforce totaled 220,000 in 2023
- Tunisia had 190,000 knitting employees in 2023
- Peru employed 45,000 in specialized alpaca knitting in 2023
- Turnover rate in knitting industry averaged 18% globally in 2023
- 28% of U.S. knitting workers were part-time in 2023
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
Despite the comforting image of a hand-knit sweater, the global knitting industry is actually a vast, interlocking fabric of 12.5 million workers, where the threads of massive employment in Asia are woven tightly with declining numbers in the West, all held together by startlingly thin wages and a constant, fraying turnover.
Market Size and Growth
- The global knitting machinery market size was valued at USD 5.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2023 to 2030
- In 2023, the U.S. knitting mills industry generated approximately $4.5 billion in revenue, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year
- Asia-Pacific dominated the knitting machinery market with a 45% share in 2022, driven by high textile production in China and India
- The European knitting industry market reached €12.3 billion in 2023, with a forecasted CAGR of 3.5% through 2028
- China's knitting product output hit 45.6 billion pieces in 2022, contributing to a domestic market value of RMB 1.2 trillion
- The flat knitting machine segment accounted for 52% of the global knitting machinery market revenue in 2023
- India's knitted apparel market was valued at USD 15.8 billion in FY2023, expected to reach USD 25 billion by FY2028 at 9.6% CAGR
- The global hand knitting yarn market size was USD 6.7 billion in 2023, projected to grow to USD 9.8 billion by 2032 at 4.3% CAGR
- Turkey's knitting sector revenue grew by 11.2% in 2023 to reach $8.9 billion
- The computerized knitting machine market expanded to $3.1 billion globally in 2023, with a 5.2% CAGR forecast to 2030
- Bangladesh's knitwear exports contributed $18.5 billion to the economy in FY2023, representing 45% of total apparel exports
- The U.K. knitting yarn market size stood at £450 million in 2023, growing at 3.8% annually
- Vietnam's knitting industry output reached 1.2 billion garments in 2023, valuing the market at $12.4 billion
- The seamless knitting technology market was worth $1.8 billion in 2022, projected to hit $2.9 billion by 2030 at 6.1% CAGR
- Italy's luxury knitting sector generated €2.1 billion in 2023, with 4.2% growth driven by high-end fashion
- The global circular knitting machine market size was $2.4 billion in 2023, expected to grow at 4.9% CAGR to 2031
- Pakistan's knitwear industry revenue hit PKR 1.05 trillion in 2023, up 12% YoY
- The U.S. hand-knitted products market reached $1.2 billion in 2023, with online sales surging 15%
- Japan's knitting machinery market was valued at ¥250 billion in FY2023, contracting slightly by 1.2%
- The organic knitting yarn segment grew to $850 million globally in 2023 at 7.5% CAGR
- Egypt's knitting exports totaled $1.8 billion in 2023, boosting the local market to $3.2 billion
- The 3D knitting machine market emerged at $450 million in 2023, forecasted 8.2% CAGR to 2030
- Australia's knitting supplies market size was AUD 320 million in 2023, up 5.1%
- South Korea's smart knitting tech market hit KRW 1.2 trillion in 2023, growing 6.3%
- The global knitting needles market reached $1.1 billion in 2023, with plastic segment at 38% share
- Indonesia's knitting garment production was 850 million units in 2023, market value $9.5 billion
- The U.K. machine knitting sector contributed £1.8 billion to GDP in 2023
- Brazil's knitting industry revenue climbed to BRL 15 billion in 2023, +8.4% growth
- The digital knitting design software market was $650 million in 2023, 7.1% CAGR projected
- Global home knitting kit sales hit $2.3 billion in 2023 amid pandemic recovery
Market Size and Growth Interpretation
The world is quietly but furiously stitching together a colossal, half-trillion-dollar fabric of industry, proving that the age-old craft of looping yarn is not just surviving but is a high-tech, globally interconnected economic powerhouse.
Production Statistics
- China produced 12.5 million tons of knitted fabrics in 2022, accounting for 35% of global production
- The U.S. knitting mills produced 450 million square meters of fabric in 2023
- India's knitting sector manufactured 8.2 billion knitted garments in FY2023
- Turkey's knitting factories output 2.1 billion pieces of apparel annually as of 2023
- Bangladesh knitwear production reached 1.8 billion pieces in FY2023
- Vietnam produced 1.5 billion knitted items in 2023, with 70% for export
- Italy's knitting mills generated 750 million meters of jersey fabric in 2023
- Pakistan's knitting industry output was 1.2 billion kg of yarn-based knits in 2023
- The global average production capacity utilization in knitting mills was 78% in 2023
- South Korea's automated knitting lines produced 450 million seamless garments in 2023
- Egypt knitted 650 million t-shirts and polo shirts in 2023
- Indonesia's knitting factories output 950 million units of sportswear in 2023
- U.K. domestic knitting production totaled 120 million pieces in 2023
- Brazil produced 550 million knitted socks and hosiery items in 2023
- Japan's knitting sector output declined to 250 million garments in FY2023
- Global circular knitting machines produced 65% of all knitted fabrics in 2023
- Australia manufactured 45 million knitted babywear items in 2023
- Germany's high-tech knitting produced 300 million technical textiles in 2023
- Cambodia's knitting output surged to 400 million garments in 2023
- Portugal's knitting mills made 180 million swimwear pieces in 2023
- Sri Lanka produced 350 million knitted apparel units in 2023
- Morocco's knitting sector output was 280 million casual wear items in 2023
- Tunisia knitted 220 million basic t-shirts in 2023
- Peru's alpaca knitting production reached 15 million items in 2023
- The world produced 28 billion kg of knitted fabrics in 2023
- U.S. knitting mills' fabric production efficiency improved to 92% in 2023
Production Statistics Interpretation
The world is literally stitched together by a massive, competitive, and wildly efficient global knitting industry, where China's overwhelming tonnage of fabric meets America's precision efficiency, India's billions of garments, Italy's luxury jersey, Germany's high-tech textiles, and even Peru's niche alpaca knits, all produced at a brisk 78% of capacity.
Trade and Exports
- U.S. global knitting exports totaled $2.8 billion in 2023
- China's knitting exports reached $150 billion in 2023, 40% of world total
- Bangladesh knitwear exports grew 10.2% to $45 billion in FY2023
- EU imported $85 billion in knitted apparel from Asia in 2023
- Turkey exported $18.2 billion in knits to EU and U.S. in 2023
- Vietnam's knitting exports hit $44 billion in 2023, +15% YoY
- India exported 1.2 billion knitted garments worth $12.5 billion in FY2023
- Pakistan knitwear exports totaled $5.8 billion in 2023
- Italy's high-end knit exports: €4.2 billion in 2023
- U.S. imported $25 billion in knitted goods, mainly from China, in 2023
- Indonesia exported $13.4 billion in knits, 85% to U.S./EU, 2023
- Cambodia knit exports reached $10.2 billion in 2023
- Portugal exported €3.8 billion in technical knits in 2023
- Sri Lanka's knit exports: $5.1 billion, down 2% in 2023
- Egypt exported $3.5 billion in knits to EU in 2023
- Global knitting trade volume: 15.2 million tons in 2023
- Morocco's knit exports to Spain/France: $2.9 billion in 2023
- Tunisia exported 1.1 billion knitted items worth $2.2 billion in 2023
- Peru's alpaca knit exports: $450 million in 2023
- Brazil exported $1.8 billion in knitted beachwear in 2023
- South Korea knit exports to U.S.: $4.5 billion in 2023
- U.K. knitting imports from Asia: £6.2 billion in 2023
- Japan exported ¥1.2 trillion in technical knits in FY2023
- Australia imported 95% of knits, $2.1 billion total in 2023
- Germany's knitting machinery exports: €2.9 billion in 2023
Trade and Exports Interpretation
America fiddles with a $2.8 billion ball of yarn while China spins a $150 billion web, proving the global knitting industry is a fiercely competitive tapestry where some nations craft fortunes, others darn the seams, and everyone is tangled up in trade.
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