From polyester's planet-altering dominance to the quiet hum of 300 million global looms, the textile industry's staggering scale and impact are woven into every thread of our modern world, as revealed by its latest production, economic, and environmental data.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global textile fiber production reached 103 million metric tons, with polyester accounting for 55 million metric tons or 54% of total production
- China's textile industry produced 52.6 million tons of yarn in 2022, representing 43% of global yarn output
- The United States manufactured 8.5 billion square meters of woven fabric in 2023, down 2% from 2022 due to supply chain issues
- In 2022, the global textile manufacturing workforce totaled 300 million people, with 75% in Asia
- China's textile and apparel sector employed 20 million workers in 2023, down 5% from 2019 peak
- Bangladesh garment factories employed 4.4 million workers in 2023, 80% women
- Global textile manufacturing revenue reached $1.7 trillion in 2022
- China's textile industry revenue was $450 billion in 2022, 26% of global total
- US textile product mills revenue hit $35 billion in 2023
- Global textile manufacturing emitted 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2022, 10% of total
- Textile production consumed 79 billion cubic meters of water in 2022
- Synthetic fibers accounted for 62% of microplastic pollution from laundry, 0.5 million tons annually
- World textile exports totaled $1.07 trillion in 2022, led by China at $323 billion
- US textile imports from China were $35 billion in 2022
- Bangladesh apparel exports to EU hit $20 billion in 2023 under GSP+
The global textile industry is vast and growing, with Asia leading production, employment, and trade.
Economic and Financial
- Global textile manufacturing revenue reached $1.7 trillion in 2022
- China's textile industry revenue was $450 billion in 2022, 26% of global total
- US textile product mills revenue hit $35 billion in 2023
- India's textile exports contributed $44 billion to GDP in FY2023, 7% share
- Bangladesh RMG sector generated $45 billion in exports in FY2023, 84% of total exports
- Vietnam textile exports revenue was $44 billion in 2022, up 10%
- Turkey's textile turnover reached €40 billion in 2022
- Global apparel market value was $1.5 trillion in 2023
- EU textile industry revenue €162 billion in 2022, with Germany at €28 billion
- Pakistan textile sector contributed 8.5% to GDP and 60% to exports in FY2023
- Indonesia apparel manufacturing revenue $25 billion in 2023
- Brazil textile market size $15 billion in 2022
- Global technical textiles market valued at $183 billion in 2023, CAGR 4.5%
- Italy fashion and textile revenue €100 billion in 2022
- Mexico textile exports $8.5 billion in 2022
- World nonwovens market $50 billion in 2023
- Egypt textile industry revenue $4 billion in 2022
- South Korea textile exports $13 billion in 2023
- Global sustainable textile market $10 billion in 2022, growing 8% CAGR
- US cut and sew apparel revenue $12 billion in 2023
- Cambodia garment exports $10 billion in 2023
- Morocco textile exports €3.5 billion in 2022
- Global textile recycling market $7 billion in 2023
- Thailand textile revenue THB 500 billion in 2022
- Peru textile exports $1.5 billion in 2023, mainly cotton
- World denim market $80 billion in 2022
- Global textile industry generated $250 billion in trade value in 2022
Economic and Financial Interpretation
While China casually drapes the globe in a quarter of the $1.7 trillion textile industry's fabric, a lively and fiercely competitive fashion show unfolds backstage, with nations from the US to Bangladesh stitching together their economic wardrobes thread by lucrative thread.
Employment and Workforce
- In 2022, the global textile manufacturing workforce totaled 300 million people, with 75% in Asia
- China's textile and apparel sector employed 20 million workers in 2023, down 5% from 2019 peak
- Bangladesh garment factories employed 4.4 million workers in 2023, 80% women
- US textile manufacturing jobs numbered 510,000 in 2023, with average wage $25/hour
- India's textile industry supports 45 million direct jobs and 60 million indirect in 2023
- Vietnam's textile sector had 2.8 million workers in 2022, growing 7% annually
- Turkey's textile employment was 1.9 million in 2023, 15% of manufacturing total
- Pakistan textile mills employed 2.5 million workers in FY2023
- EU textile and apparel industry employed 1.7 million in 2022, with 70% women
- Indonesia's textile and garment workforce reached 3.8 million in 2023
- Ethiopia's textile parks employed 50,000 workers in 2023, targeting 1 million by 2025
- Mexico's apparel maquiladoras had 450,000 jobs in 2022
- Cambodia's garment industry employed 800,000 in 2023, 90% female
- Global apparel supply chain informal workers numbered 100 million in 2022
- Italy's textile sector had 400,000 employees in 2022
- Sri Lanka's apparel exports supported 350,000 jobs in 2022
- Brazil's textile employment was 1.4 million in 2022
- US nonwovens sector employed 65,000 in 2023
- Global textile dyeing workforce faced 20% automation reduction by 2023
- Jordan's Qualified Industrial Zones employed 120,000 in textiles in 2022
- Morocco's textile sector jobs totaled 220,000 in 2023
- Lesotho's garment factories employed 40,000 in 2022, 87% women
- Global fast fashion brands' factories had average 5,000 workers per site in 2023
- China's automated spinning mills reduced labor needs by 30% to 12 million workers by 2023
- World textile R&D staff numbered 500,000 in 2022
- Haiti's apparel sector employed 60,000 in 2022 despite instability
- Tunisia's textile employment was 250,000 in 2023
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
While Asia remains the dominant, labor-intensive heart of the global textile industry—with a vast and often vulnerable workforce—the threads of change are evident, from automation's tightening weave in China to the West's higher-wage, specialized niches, painting a picture of an ancient sector stitched between relentless cost pressures and the uneven march of progress.
Environmental Impact
- Global textile manufacturing emitted 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2022, 10% of total
- Textile production consumed 79 billion cubic meters of water in 2022
- Synthetic fibers accounted for 62% of microplastic pollution from laundry, 0.5 million tons annually
- Cotton farming used 16% of global insecticides and 7% of pesticides in 2022
- Bangladesh textile factories discharged 200 million liters of untreated wastewater daily in 2023
- Global textile dyeing process used 5 trillion liters of water yearly
- Fast fashion produced 92 million tons of waste annually, half landfilled
- Polyester production emitted 340 million tons CO2 in 2022
- EU textile sector energy use was 200 TWh in 2022, 4% of manufacturing total
- Global organic cotton production covered 1.5 million hectares in 2022, 1% of total
- Textile supply chain deforestation linked to 35 million trees yearly for viscose
- US textile manufacturing GHG emissions totaled 50 million metric tons CO2e in 2022
- Recycled polyester usage in textiles was 14 million tons in 2022, up 20%
- Indian textile industry water pollution included 20% of industrial effluents in 2023
- Global textile chemical use was 350,000 tons of hazardous substances yearly
- Sheep farming for wool emitted 700 million tons CO2e annually
- Vietnam textile factories reduced water use by 20% to 150 liters/kg fabric in 2023 pilots
- Landfill methane from textile waste contributed 1.5% to global emissions in 2022
- Sustainable fibers share in production rose to 28.4% or 29 million tons in 2022
- Turkey textile sector recycled 100,000 tons of waste in 2022
- Global microfiber shedding from synthetics was 500,000 tons/year entering oceans
- Cotton irrigation used 2,500 km³ water globally in 2022
- Bio-based fibers emitted 50% less GHG than polyester per ton in 2023 studies
- Pakistan textile wastewater BOD load was 1.2 million tons/year
- EU banned 10,000 tons of non-recyclable textiles from 2025
- Global textile carbon footprint per garment averaged 10 kg CO2e in 2022
- Leather tanning pollution included 100 million m³ wastewater with chromium in 2022
- Renewable energy in textile factories reached 15% globally in 2023
Environmental Impact Interpretation
The planet is footing the bill for our wardrobe, paying in poisoned water, suffocated oceans, and a feverish atmosphere.
Production and Output
- In 2022, global textile fiber production reached 103 million metric tons, with polyester accounting for 55 million metric tons or 54% of total production
- China's textile industry produced 52.6 million tons of yarn in 2022, representing 43% of global yarn output
- The United States manufactured 8.5 billion square meters of woven fabric in 2023, down 2% from 2022 due to supply chain issues
- India's textile sector output grew by 10% in FY2023 to INR 10.4 lakh crore, driven by cotton yarn production of 4.5 million tons
- Vietnam's garment manufacturing produced 2.8 billion pieces of apparel in 2022, with exports valued at $44 billion
- Bangladesh's spinning sector capacity reached 45 million spindles by end-2023, producing 1.6 million tons of yarn annually
- Turkey produced 1.2 million tons of man-made fibers in 2022, up 5% year-over-year
- Pakistan's textile exports included 2.1 million tons of cotton yarn in FY2023, from 450 operational mills
- EU-27 textile manufacturing output was €167 billion in 2022, with nonwovens at 2.8 million tons
- Brazil's textile industry produced 800,000 tons of fabrics in 2022, led by denim at 150 million meters
- Indonesia's textile production hit 3.5 million tons in 2023, with polyester filament yarn at 1.2 million tons
- Mexico manufactured 450 million garments in 2022 under nearshoring trends
- Egypt's cotton ginning output was 327,000 tons of lint in 2022/23 season from 1.1 million tons seed cotton
- Thailand's synthetic fiber production reached 650,000 tons in 2022
- South Korea produced 1.1 million tons of chemical fibers in 2023, down 3% due to demand slowdown
- Global apparel production was 80 billion units in 2022, with Asia contributing 75 billion
- Italy's woolen fabric production totaled 45 million meters in 2022
- Uzbekistan's cotton fiber production was 3.6 million tons in 2022/23, ginned to 1.2 million tons
- Global nonwoven production exceeded 14 million tons in 2023, growing at 5.2% CAGR since 2018
- US home textile output included 120 million sets of bedding in 2022
- Iran's textile machinery installed capacity supports 1.5 million tons fiber processing annually
- Global technical textiles production reached 28 million tons in 2022
- World textile waste generation was 92 million tons in 2022 from manufacturing and consumption
- China's nonwovens output was 5.2 million tons in 2022, 37% of global total
- Global carpet production was 7.5 billion square meters in 2023
- Saudi Arabia's textile manufacturing output grew 8% to SAR 12 billion in 2022
- Peru produced 120,000 tons of cotton fiber in 2022/23, mainly Pima variety
- Global denim production hit 6 billion meters in 2022, led by Pakistan at 1.2 billion meters
- Japan's synthetic fiber output was 850,000 tons in FY2022
- World man-made fiber production grew 4.5% to 73 million tons in 2022
Production and Output Interpretation
The world is literally draped in a vast, fast-fashion polyester tapestry—stitched predominantly by China, stitched into wealth by Vietnam and Bangladesh, stitched with resilience by India and Turkey, stitched together by complex and often wasteful global supply chains that are straining both the planet's resources and our collective closets.
Trade and Global Market
- World textile exports totaled $1.07 trillion in 2022, led by China at $323 billion
- US textile imports from China were $35 billion in 2022
- Bangladesh apparel exports to EU hit $20 billion in 2023 under GSP+
- Vietnam-US textile trade reached $18 billion in 2022
- India-EU textile trade volume $15 billion in 2022
- Turkey exported $28 billion textiles to EU in 2022, 70% of total
- Global cotton yarn trade was 12 million tons in 2022
- Pakistan-US cotton apparel imports $3.5 billion in FY2023
- Indonesia-China textile imports $10 billion in 2023
- Mexico-NAFTA textile trade intra-regional $20 billion in 2022
- Italy exported €15 billion home textiles globally in 2022
- Cambodia exports to US $8 billion garments in 2023
- Brazil exported $1 billion cotton yarn to Asia in 2022
- South Korea-Japan textile trade $5 billion in 2023
- Global man-made filament yarn trade 8.5 million tons in 2022
- Egypt-EU textile exports $2.5 billion in 2022
- Peru-US Pima cotton apparel trade $1.2 billion in 2023
- Morocco-EU apparel exports €4.5 billion in 2022
- Global PPE textiles trade surged to $80 billion in 2022 post-COVID
- Thailand-ASEAN intra-trade textiles $12 billion in 2023
- Uzbekistan cotton exports 800,000 tons in 2022/23
- Global recycled textile fiber trade 2 million tons in 2023
- China-Vietnam textile imports $15 billion in 2022
- US textile tariffs impacted $10 billion imports from Asia in 2023
- India-Bangladesh informal textile trade $5 billion annually
- Turkey-Middle East textile exports $6 billion in 2022
- Global home textiles trade $120 billion in 2023
- Lesotho-EU AGOA apparel exports $450 million in 2022
Trade and Global Market Interpretation
The world's textile trade is a dizzyingly complex, trillion-dollar tapestry where China firmly holds the loom, regional alliances like the EU and NAFTA weave tight knots of commerce, and every thread—from Bangladesh's garments to Turkey's exports and America's tariffs—pulls globally in a delicate balance of economic ambition and protectionism.
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