Gitnux/Report 2026

Garment Industry Statistics

With 60% of global apparel production tied to fast fashion by unit volume and EU rules tightening across textiles, retailers are being pushed to prove both compliance and carbon impact starting 2025 and 2026. Track how far the pressure reaches, from recycled fiber usage and carbon pricing to forced labor controls, digital product passports, and AI or RFID tools that can cut defects by 30% and reduce out of stocks by 8 to 12%.
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November 10, 2026Updated
Garment Industry Statistics
Marie LarsenWritten by Marie Larsen·Edited by Nathan Caldwell·Fact-checked by Claire Beaumont
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The garment industry at a glance

The global garment market is estimated at $1.9 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.3 trillion by 2030, while China remains the leading apparel exporter.

$1.9T[70]
Global apparel market, 2025
4%[70]
Forecast CAGR, 2025–2030
27.35%
China apparel export share, 2025
1.2M[71]
EU textile and clothing jobs, 2026
Market size
The global apparel market was estimated at $1.9 trillion in 2025. The EU textile and clothing industry reported €166 billion in annual turnover in 2026.[70][71]
Forecast & CAGR
The global apparel market is projected to grow from $1.9 trillion in 2025 to $2.3 trillion in 2030, implying a 4% CAGR. A separate 2026–2035 forecast estimates 3.4% annual growth, reflecting differences in market definitions and methodology.[70][72]
Market share & regions
China accounted for 27.35% of global apparel exports in 2025, followed by Bangladesh at 6.76% and Vietnam at 6.53%. In the EU, about one-third of textile and clothing products sold are manufactured in China.[71]
Segmentation
In the EU textile and clothing sector, textiles account for 52% of turnover and clothing for 48%. Global apparel research commonly segments demand by product type, material, end user, price tier and distribution channel, including casualwear, sportswear, synthetic and natural fibers, men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, and online and physical retail.[73][74]
Key players & concentration
China remained the largest apparel-exporting country in 2025 with $157.1 billion in exports and a 27.35% global share. Bangladesh exported $38.8 billion, while Vietnam exported $37.5 billion, showing that production is concentrated in a small group of Asian manufacturing hubs.
Pricing
EURATEX reports that average prices for low-value textile and clothing imports entering Europe are below €9 per item. This pricing pressure is linked to the growth of direct-to-consumer cross-border e-commerce and creates a competitive disadvantage for producers subject to higher environmental, social and product standards.[71]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being supported by athleisure, casualwear, online retail and digitalization, while the sector faces weak demand in some markets, labor-cost inflation, energy constraints and sustainability requirements. In 2025, Bangladesh apparel exports grew only 0.89%, while China’s exports fell 4.92%, indicating continued competitive pressure among Asian sourcing centers.[72]
Consumer behavior & competition
Cross-border online shopping is intensifying price competition: volumes of low-value parcels entering the EU have quadrupled since 2022. The EU textile and clothing sector also reports that imports from third countries reached €122 billion, compared with €61 billion in exports, highlighting the importance of imported apparel in consumer supply.[71]
M&A
Gildan Activewear agreed to acquire HanesBrands for $2.2 billion in August 2025, combining two major basic-apparel businesses. Gildan completed the acquisition on December 1, 2025, expanding its portfolio to brands including Hanes, Champion, American Apparel and Comfort Colors.[16][75]
Regulation
The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation identifies textile apparel as a priority product group for ecodesign requirements and Digital Product Passports under the 2025–2030 working plan. The planned framework is intended to improve information on durability, repairability, material composition and sustainability across textile value chains.[73][76]
Latest news
In early November 2026, hundreds of Bangladeshi garment factories remained closed after worker protests over pay, disrupting a sector that generates about $40 billion a year in exports. The episode highlights labor relations and wage pressures as ongoing operational risks for apparel manufacturers.[16]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Garment Industry

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

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

Verdict

Fast Retailing leads Gitnux's 2026 garment ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with ¥3.4 trillion FY2025 revenue reported through global apparel businesses. Inditex is the highest-ranked fashion retailer and garment producer at 9.5, backed by €39.9 billion 2025 revenue across its global fashion business.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in casualwear retail

    Fast Retailing

    JP

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Casualwear retail

    Why we picked it: They cover global casualwear and technical garment retail with ¥3.4 trillion FY2025 revenue across global apparel businesses.

    See in ranking ↓Visit fastretailing.com ↗

  2. Leader in fashion retail & production

    Inditex

    ES

    Ranked #2 · 9.5 · Fashion retail & production

    Why we picked it: They operate global fashion retail and garment production with €39.9 billion 2025 revenue across the global fashion business.

    See in ranking ↓Visit inditex.com ↗

  3. Leader in vertically integrated manufacturing

    Shenzhou International

    CN

    Ranked #3 · 9.1 · Vertically integrated manufacturing

    Why we picked it: They focus on vertically integrated apparel manufacturing, producing sportswear, casualwear, and lingerie.

    See in ranking ↓Visit shenzhouintl.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 garment industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Fast Retailing

Casualwear retail · JP

9.6
2

Inditex

Fashion retail & production · ES

9.5
3

Shenzhou International

Vertically integrated manufacturing · CN

9.1
4

NIKE

Athletic apparel distribution · US

9.0
5

lululemon

Technical athletic apparel · CA

9.0
6

adidas

Global sportswear apparel and footwear · DE

8.9
7

Gildan

Vertically integrated basic apparel manufacturing · CA

8.9
8

Ralph Lauren

Global luxury and lifestyle apparel · US

8.7
9

PUMA

Global sportswear apparel and footwear · DE

7.6
10

Under Armour

Performance athletic apparel and footwear · US

7.5

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

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

Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the garment industry. In Garment Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/garment-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest garment companies

NIKE leads with $46.4B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

NIKE$46.4B
Inditex$43.1B
adidas$26.8B
Fast Retailing$22.8B
lululemon$11.1B
Ralph Lauren$8.1B
source-verifiedinvestors.nike.com · annualreport.inditex.com · report.adidas-group.com · fastretailing.com · corporate.lululemon.com · investor.ralphlauren.com2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Generative AI use is already widespread (62% in 2023) and apparel companies report continuing implementation into 2024 alongside robotics adoption (1,580 in 2024).

AI in the garment industry

  • 62% of global fashion executives said their companies used generative AI in 2023, including 34% using it for marketing copy and 28% for design and product development.[1]
  • 25% of surveyed European textile companies had adopted artificial intelligence in 2024, up from 8% in 2023.[2]
  • 98% of apparel companies were at least investigating AI in 2024, and more than 70% were already implementing or using it.[3]
  • 33% of apparel organizations were already using AI in 2024, while 38% were implementing it and 27% were investigating it, according to a global apparel-industry survey.[3]

Automation in the garment industry

  • 1,580 industrial robots were operational in the textiles, apparel and leather industries worldwide in 2024.[4]
  • US garment-industry automation adoption was projected to reach 63% by 2025 and 75% by 2030, based on McKinsey’s industry scenario analysis.[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]
  • 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]
  • 65% of textile companies in the 2023 sample had a website, according to analysis of company websites in the EU textile ecosystem.[2]

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

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

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

  • 16% of apparel organizations with revenue below $100 million had already moved to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 19% of apparel organizations with revenue of $100 million or more had already moved to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 33% of textile-ecosystem companies in the EU used cloud technology in 2024.[2]
  • 48% of apparel organizations with revenue of $100 million or more were in the process of moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 39% of apparel organizations with revenue below $100 million were in the process of moving to cloud ERP in 2025.[3]
  • 32.3% of textile-ecosystem SMEs in the EU had adopted cloud technologies in 2023.[5]

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

  • 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]
  • 12% of companies in the European textile ecosystem reported Big Data adoption in 2024, based on the EMI Enterprise Survey.[2]
  • 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.[6]
  • 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]

Blockchain in the garment industry

  • 532 fashion-manufacturing enterprises in Quanzhou, China, were surveyed on intentions to implement blockchain supply-chain applications in 2024.[7]
  • 95 blockchain-related collaborations involving fashion firms were recorded from 2015 through 2023 in a fashion supply-chain dataset.[8]

IoT in the fashion and textiles sector (sector benchmark)

  • 14% of European textile SMEs reported using Internet of Things technologies in 2023, according to the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems survey.[2]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Companies connect digital transformation to measurable outcomes such as inventory turns and warehousing efficiency (26%) and procurement efficiency and reliability (18%).

Business intelligence in the garment industry

  • 18% of apparel companies reported improvements in procurement efficiency and reliability from digital transformation initiatives.[3]
  • 26% of apparel companies reported improvements in inventory turns and warehousing efficiency from digital transformation initiatives.[3]
  • 24% of apparel companies reported improvements in business intelligence and analytics from digital transformation initiatives in Aptean’s industry survey.[3]

Data analytics in the garment industry

  • 24% of apparel companies reported business-intelligence and analytics improvements from digital transformation initiatives in Aptean’s survey.[3]
  • Apparel companies already using AI reported higher profit growth than companies not using AI in Aptean and B2B International’s 2024 survey.[3]
  • More than 50% of fashion executives said their companies were using generative AI in 2024.[1]

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

  • 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]
  • 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]
  • 46% of fashion and apparel businesses had visibility into Tier 4 raw-material suppliers in 2025, according to a global industry survey.[10]
  • 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]
  • 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]

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

  • 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]
  • 45% of textile firms not affected by the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation reported using industry data-sharing standards in 2025.[9]
  • 52% of textile firms 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]
  • 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]
  • 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]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Strategy execution is reflected in store and earnings metrics; lululemon reported 14% growth in company-operated store revenue in 2024.

Growth in the garment industry

  • More than $10 billion was lululemon’s annual revenue in 2024, its first year above that threshold.[11]
  • 3–4% is Coats Group’s expected medium-term annual growth rate for its apparel business, versus 1–2% underlying market growth.[12]
  • 14% was lululemon’s 2024 growth in company-operated store revenue, supporting its Power of Three ×2 growth strategy.[11]
  • 15% was lululemon’s 2024 year-over-year increase in adjusted earnings per share as the company expanded across products, channels and markets.[11]

Differentiation in the garment industry

  • 39,000 employees supported lululemon’s product innovation, guest-experience and market-expansion strategy in 2024.[11]
  • 68% of surveyed U.S. consumers described their most-loved clothing as comfortable, while 36% said it exactly fit their style.[13]
  • Market-share gains in key growth categories were reported by Gildan in 2024 following the launch of products featuring new innovations.[14]
  • 66% of Urban Outfitters’ fiscal 2024 revenue came from apparel, indicating apparel’s central role in its differentiated brand portfolio.[14]

Mergers and acquisitions in the garment industry

  • 1 fashion-house acquisition transferred Christian Lacroix to Sociedad Textil Lonia in January 2025.[15]
  • $1.4 billion was the announced value of Prada Group’s 2025 acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings.[16]
  • 20% was Versace’s share of Capri Holdings’ 2024 revenue of €5.2 billion before the Prada acquisition.[16]
  • 1 proposed merger between Tapestry and Capri was terminated in November 2024 after an antitrust challenge by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.[16]

Strategic partnerships in the garment industry

  • 37% of adidas independent manufacturing partners had collaborated with the company for more than 20 years in 2024, indicating durable strategic supplier relationships.[17]
  • 13 countries were covered by the Better Work program, with which adidas partnered to provide supplier due-diligence and capacity-building programs.[17]
  • 1 ongoing partnership with RISE supported Carter’s worker-empowerment strategy in 2024.[18]
  • 60 distribution centers supported adidas’ global network in 2024, including 39 facilities managed by logistics partners.[17]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce planning emphasizes role shifts and hybrid structures; 87% of US fashion companies planned to strengthen teams or redefine roles in 2026–2031.

Hiring in the garment industry

  • Data scientists, compliance specialists and sustainability professionals were identified as the three job roles expected to be in highest demand in the US fashion industry between 2026 and 2031.[19]
  • 87% of US fashion companies planned to strengthen teams or redefine roles in the 2026–2031 period, according to USFIA benchmarking research.[19]

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.[20]
  • In a global survey of more than 1,000 fashion professionals, 65% identified flexible working policies as the most important employer benefit.[21]
  • Among non-manager manufacturing employees able to work remotely, 67% can work from home two days per week, according to a 2024 member survey.[20]
  • In 2024, 15% of non-factory-floor employees at surveyed global manufacturers worked fully remotely, compared with 8% of factory-floor employees.[22]

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.[21]
  • Across surveyed manufacturers in 2025, 79% operated a hybrid model for non-production employees, while 17% were fully back in the office.[20]
  • In 2025, 23% of surveyed manufacturers were actively updating hybrid policies to add more structure around required office days.[20]
  • Among global manufacturers in 2024, 42% of non-factory-floor employees worked in hybrid arrangements, compared with 10% of factory-floor employees.[22]

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

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

  • 55.1% of the US textile-industry workforce was female in 2024.[28]
  • 14.8% of the US textile, apparel and leather manufacturing workforce was Black or African American in 2024, representing approximately 62,000 workers.[28]
  • 64.4% of workers in US cut-and-sew and apparel-accessories manufacturing were women in 2024.[29]
  • 6.8% of the US textile workforce was Asian in 2024, representing approximately 28,500 workers.[28]

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

  • 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 37% improvement in analytics and business-intelligence KPIs to digital transformation in a 2023 survey.[3]
  • Fashion and apparel companies attributed a 40% improvement in procurement KPIs to digital transformation, according to a 2023 industry survey.[3]
  • 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 39% improvement in sales and customer-service on-time-in-full KPIs to digital transformation in 2023.[3]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Channel consistency drives purchasing: 82% of fashion consumers expected the same product across online and physical retail channels in 2024.

Customer experience in the garment industry

  • 82% of fashion consumers expected to find the same product across online and physical retail channels in 2024, while only about 10% of retailers’ online assortments were available in stores.[30]
  • 91% of department-store fashion shoppers ranked consistent fit and sizing among their top purchase considerations in 2024.[30]
  • 90% of department-store fashion shoppers ranked product-and-price alignment among their top purchase considerations in 2024.[30]
  • 11% of fashion-app shoppers perceived personalization as a benefit overall, rising to 19% among consumers aged 18–24 in US and UK research.[31]

Customer retention in the garment industry

  • 19% was the 12-month retention rate for fashion and apparel ecommerce customers in 2023.[32]
  • 52% of fashion and apparel ecommerce orders came from returning customers in 2023.[32]
  • 30% was the repurchase rate for fashion and apparel ecommerce customers in 2023.[32]

Customer acquisition in the garment industry

  • $251–$500 was the customer-acquisition cost reported by one in five fashion and retail brands in 2025.[33]
  • 21% of surveyed fashion brands identified acquiring new customers more efficiently as their most important growth lever in 2025.[33]

Customer loyalty in the garment industry

  • 36% of fashion consumers said existing retailer loyalty programs incentivized them to shop more often in 2024.[30]
  • 80% of fashion consumers said an attractive retailer rewards program was important in 2024, but only 32% said existing programs made them feel understood.[30]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand and digital spend remains a key focus; 71% of fashion executives planned to spend more on brand marketing in 2024 than in 2023.

Marketing in the garment industry

  • 71% of fashion executives planned to spend more on brand marketing in 2024 than in 2023, according to a global fashion executive survey.[34]
  • 3% was Gap Inc.’s fiscal-2024 comparable-sales growth, with market-share gains reported in all four quarters.[14]
  • 2% was the increase in Nike Brand apparel revenue on a currency-neutral basis in fiscal 2026, supported partly by higher average selling prices.[35]
  • 3% was Gap Inc.’s comparable-sales growth in fiscal 2024, while the company described brand reinvigoration as a central growth initiative.[14]

Digital marketing in the garment industry

  • 2% of apparel companies surveyed identified improving digital sell-in as a top-three go-to-market priority.[1]
  • 12% was the decline in Nike Brand digital sales in fiscal 2026, to $8.6 billion from $9.6 billion in fiscal 2025.[35]
  • 28% of apparel companies surveyed cited increasing digital presence as a top-three apparel go-to-market priority.[1]
  • 32% of North American apparel manufacturers reported KPI improvements in e-commerce or direct-to-consumer operations from digital transformation.[3]

Branding in the garment industry

  • 7.4% was Gap Inc.’s fiscal-2024 operating margin after operating expenses declined 2% year over year.[14]
  • 71% of fashion executives planned to increase spending on brand marketing in 2024 compared with 2023.[34]
  • 41.3% was Gap Inc.’s fiscal-2024 gross margin, its highest level in approximately 20 years according to the company.[14]
  • 3% was Old Navy’s comparable-sales growth in fiscal 2024, when Gap Inc. said the brand became the leading U.S. specialty apparel brand and retailer.[14]

Social media in the garment industry

  • 65% of fashion consumers surveyed said they were turning less to fashion influencers than a few years earlier.[1]
  • 68% of fashion consumers surveyed were unhappy with the volume of sponsored content on social-media platforms.[1]
  • 30% was the approximate year-on-year decline in Instagram engagement rates cited for 2022 in fashion-industry research.[1]
  • $21.1 billion was the forecast size of the influencer-marketing industry in 2023, up from $16.4 billion in 2022.[1]

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

  • $15.1 billion in earned media value was generated by the top 100 global fashion brands in 2025.[36]
  • 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.[36]
  • 1.53% was the average engagement rate for fashion influencer content in 2023, rising to 2.26% on TikTok.[37]
  • 1.8% was the average influencer engagement rate for giant fashion brands, compared with 1.9% for challengers and 1.6% for up-and-comers in 2024.[38]
  • 76% of fashion earned media value was generated by affordable fashion brands globally in 2025.[36]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational change links to throughput and lead time; lean applications reported up to 80% maximum reduction in lead time in textile and garment production.

Process optimization in the garment industry

  • 12.46% was the reported improvement in efficiency after lean-manufacturing interventions in textile and garment case studies.[39]
  • 56% of apparel companies surveyed ranked reducing speed to market among their top-three go-to-market improvement priorities.[1]
  • 17.8% was the reported increase in production output after lean-manufacturing interventions in textile and garment case studies.[39]
  • 80% was the maximum reported reduction in lead time from lean applications in textile and garment production.[39]

Operational efficiency in the garment industry

  • 40% reported improvements in maintenance or equipment utilization from digital transformation.[3]
  • 34% of North American apparel manufacturers reported production overall-equipment-effectiveness improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[3]
  • 30% reported logistics-efficiency improvements from digital-transformation initiatives in apparel manufacturing.[3]
  • 48% reported improvements in supply-chain operations from digital-transformation initiatives.[3]

Quality management in the garment industry

  • 6.5% of products failed Gaber Garment’s quality test after ILO-supported training, compared with more than 33% previously.[40]
  • 6.75% was the rework rate at one Ethiopian garment factory after systematic rework and rejection management, down from 35%.[40]
  • 85% of products met international standards after productivity and quality improvements at an Ethiopian garment factory supported by the ILO programme.[40]
  • 40% of North American apparel manufacturers reported quality or safety KPI improvements from digital-transformation initiatives.[3]

Supply chain in the garment industry

  • 47% of supply-chain leaders planned to maintain current inventory levels, while 46% expected to reduce or eliminate risk buffers.[1]
  • 34% of supply-chain survey respondents still relied on larger inventory buffers to manage disruptions, down from 59%.[1]
  • 49% of apparel and footwear brands planned to transform their supply base to increase margins or decrease costs over the following two years.[41]
  • 73% of apparel and footwear supply-chain survey respondents reported progress on dual-sourcing strategies.[1]

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

  • Among large U.S. fashion companies with 1,000+ employees, approximately 60% sourced apparel from at least 10 countries in 2025.[19]
  • Across U.S. fashion companies, 46 countries were used as apparel sourcing destinations in 2025.[19]
  • Among U.S. fashion companies, 60% sourced less than 10% of their apparel products from China in 2025.[19]
  • Among U.S. fashion companies, more than 80% planned to further reduce apparel sourcing from China over the following two years through 2027.[19]
  • Among 67 surveyed apparel and footwear brands globally, approximately 7% reported mature practices across strategic sourcing, collaborative supply planning, and proactive supplier management.[41]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing strategy in the garment industry

  • 16% was the estimated return consistently captured by Zara through supply-chain flexibility and shorter lead times in an apparel value-capture analysis.[40]
  • 1% was Nike Brand apparel unit-sales growth in fiscal 2026, while higher average selling prices contributed approximately one percentage point to revenue growth.[35]
  • 35% was the average markdown applied to 25%–55% of assortments by companies facing overstocking, according to fashion-industry analysis.[1]
  • 33% of fashion executives ranked pricing and promotions among their top three margin-protection initiatives for 2026.[1]

Cost reduction in the garment industry

  • 45% planned to transform their supply base to reduce reliance on China over the following two years.[41]
  • 44% planned to transform their distribution network over the following two years.[41]
  • 69% of apparel CPO survey respondents expected to improve sourcing costs in the near term.[1]

Profitability in the garment industry

  • 12.5% was the fashion-industry EBITA margin in 2024 across companies included in the McKinsey Global Fashion Index.[1]
  • 1% was fashion-industry revenue growth in 2024, while operating costs rose 3%.[1]
  • 41.3% was Gap Inc.’s fiscal-2024 gross margin, while its operating margin was 7.4%.[14]
  • 12% was the year-on-year decline in fashion-industry economic profit in 2024 across the 400 public companies tracked by the McKinsey Global Fashion Index.[1]

Financial planning in the garment industry

  • 168 days was the average number of days inventory outstanding across fashion companies in 2024, versus a 147-day average for 2020–2023.[1]
  • 47% ranked inventory optimization among their top three margin-protection initiatives for 2026.[1]
  • 38% was the year-on-year increase in Gap Inc.’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at the end of fiscal 2024.[14]
  • 50% of fashion executives ranked assortment mix among their top three initiatives for protecting margins in 2026.[1]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Circularity signals show up in product composition and end-of-life outcomes; 95% of textiles brought to European Repair Cafés in 2025 could be successfully repaired.

Product development in the garment industry

  • More than 50% of fashion executives said their companies were using generative AI in 2024, including for creative and product-development work.[1]
  • 13% of the most popular clothing items sold online in five European countries contained at least 20% recycled content in February 2026.[42]
  • 9% of the most popular clothing items bought online in the EU had product standards supported by third-party certification in 2025.[42]
  • Only 4% of brands surveyed published the percentage of products designed to enable circularity in Fashion Transparency Index reporting.[43]

Product lifecycle in the garment industry

  • 95% of textiles brought to European Repair Cafés in 2025 could be successfully repaired.[42]
  • 1.7 kilograms of textiles per person were reused in the EU in 2021.[42]
  • The duration of garment use decreased by 36% between 2000 and 2015, according to UNEP reporting on the fashion and textile sector.[44]
  • 16 kilograms of textile waste per person were generated annually in the EU27 according to the latest EEA indicator.[42]

After-sales in the garment industry

  • 82.2% was the average rate at which repair displaced purchases of new clothing in WRAP’s analysis of circular business models.[45]
  • 20% of clothing purchases are estimated to be returned in Europe, equivalent to approximately one in five garments.[42]
  • 64.6% was the average rate at which clothing resale displaced purchases of new clothing in WRAP’s analysis.[45]

Value proposition in the garment industry

  • 63% of US consumers chose fashion brands based on their perception of the value received for the money spent in 2024.[46]
  • 64% of US fashion shoppers traded down in the third quarter of 2024, according to McKinsey and The Business of Fashion.[1]
  • 79% of apparel and accessories consumers said price and quality were the most important purchase factors in Klaviyo’s 2024 research.[33]
  • More than 70% of fashion customers planned to purchase from outlets or off-price retailers in the following 12 months in McKinsey’s 2024 survey.[1]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Environmental load remains material: the textile industry produces 2% to 8% of global greenhouse-gas emissions and uses about 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools of water annually.

Sustainability in the garment industry

  • The textile industry produces an estimated 2% to 8% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.[44]
  • The textile industry uses approximately 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools of water annually.[44]
  • 57% of fibres and yarns used by EU industry were synthetic in 2024, equal to approximately 2.6 million tonnes.[42]
  • 60% of material made into clothing is plastic, including polyester, acrylic and nylon.[44]

ESG in the garment industry

  • The overall average brand score in Fashion Transparency Index 2024 was 18%.[43]
  • Only 4% of brands published the percentage of products designed to enable circularity in Fashion Revolution’s published findings.[43]
  • 29% of brands disclosed their annual fibre mix in Fashion Revolution’s published transparency findings.[43]
  • Only 12% of brands surveyed disclosed the quantity of products produced during the annual reporting period in Fashion Transparency Index 2023.[43]

Ethics in the garment industry

  • Approximately 40,000 Bangladeshi textile workers remained threatened with criminal prosecution after protests over minimum wages, according to Clean Clothes Campaign reporting.[15]
  • The Bangladesh garment sector has about 3,500 factories, according to reporting on labor rights and supply-chain conditions.[15]
  • Bangladesh’s garment sector accounts for approximately 85% of the country’s annual exports, according to reporting on its labor conditions.[15]
  • Bangladesh’s garment industry employs approximately 4 million workers, mostly women from rural areas.[16]

Circular economy in the garment industry

  • 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated worldwide each year.[47]
  • Only 8% of textile fibres were made from recycled sources in 2023, while less than 1% of the total fibre market came from textile-to-textile recycling.[47]
  • 26% of separately collected textile waste was sent to incineration or landfill in the EU27.[42]

Carbon footprint in the garment industry

  • Textiles account for approximately 9% of annual microplastic losses to the ocean.[44]
  • Textile products purchased by EU households generated an estimated 355 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per person in their supply chain in 2022.[42]
  • The EU textile-consumption value chain generated an estimated 159 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2022.[42]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade remains export-led but shifts continue: China accounted for 27.35% of global apparel exports in 2025, while global textile and apparel exports were $904 billion in 2024.

Globalization in the garment industry

  • 2.4% was the increase in global textile and apparel exports in 2024 compared with 2023.[55]
  • $904 billion was the value of global textile and apparel exports in 2024, with apparel representing 59% of the total.[55]
  • 26% was China’s share of global textile and apparel industry production in 2022, down from 43% in 2010.[56]
  • 3% was the growth in global clothing merchandise trade value in 2024, compared with a 5% decline in 2023.[57]

Supplier management in the garment industry

  • 124 independent adidas manufacturing partners operated 283 manufacturing facilities in 2024, with 78% of partners located in Asia.[17]
  • 37% of adidas independent manufacturing partners had a relationship with the company lasting more than 20 years in 2024.[17]
  • 378 active Tier 1 factories across 31 countries supplied Ralph Lauren in fiscal 2024.[54]
  • 444 Tier 1 manufacturing facilities and subcontractors across nearly 40 countries partnered with adidas in 2025.[17]

Stakeholder management in the garment industry

  • 0.4% of workers in H&M Group’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier factories were migrant workers as of January 2026.[58]
  • 34 adidas licensees manufactured products in 223 facilities across 32 countries in 2024, extending stakeholder oversight beyond direct suppliers.[17]
  • 73 Social and Labor Convergence Program assessments were used by adidas in 2024 to reduce repetitive social audits in shared supplier facilities.[17]
  • 11 Better Work program assessments were used by adidas in 2024 to monitor working conditions in supplier facilities.[17]

Distribution channels in the garment industry

  • Company-operated store revenue at lululemon increased 14% in 2024, while e-commerce revenue increased 6%.[11]
  • $1.734 billion was Columbia Sportswear’s 2024 wholesale revenue, while apparel, accessories and equipment revenue totaled $2.687 billion.[59]
  • adidas operated a global distribution network of 60 distribution centers in 2024, including 21 company-owned and 39 managed by logistics partners.[17]

16 Statistics

Regional markets

Bangladesh remains a large export base for Europe, with $13.62 billion of ready-made garment exports to major EU markets in fiscal year 2024.

The garment industry in Bangladesh

  • $13.62 billion of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment exports went to major European Union markets in fiscal year 2024, representing 37.69% of total RMG exports.[60]
  • $38.48 billion in ready-made garment exports was recorded by Bangladesh in 2024, including $20.52 billion in knitwear and $17.95 billion in woven garments.[61]
  • More than 230 LEED-certified garment factories operated in Bangladesh in 2024, giving the country one of the world’s largest concentrations of green garment facilities.[61]
  • 3.46 million people were employed in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry in 2022, according to the Bangladesh Labour Force Survey.[60]

The garment industry in Vietnam

  • $4.33 billion of Vietnam’s textile and garment exports went to Japan in 2024, representing 11.7% of the sector’s export turnover.[62]
  • $16.15 billion of Vietnam’s textile and garment exports went to the United States in 2024, accounting for 43.6% of the sector’s total export turnover.[62]
  • $44 billion in textile and garment exports was generated by Vietnam in 2024, an increase of more than 11% from 2023.[63]

The garment industry in Cambodia

  • 924,000 people worked in Cambodia’s garment, textile and footwear sector in 2024, including 691,000 women, according to World Bank data.[64]
  • More than 38% of Cambodia’s garment, footwear and travel-goods export revenue came from the United States in 2024, making it the sector’s largest export market.[65]
  • $13.92 billion in garment, footwear and travel-goods exports was recorded by Cambodia in 2024, up 23% from 2023.[66]
  • 1,555 garment, footwear and travel-goods firms operated in Cambodia in 2024, 30% more than in 2020.[67]

The garment industry in Los Angeles

  • 6.25 was Los Angeles County apparel’s location quotient in 2024, indicating strong local concentration relative to the United States.[68]
  • 57,000 apparel jobs were present in Los Angeles County in 2007, compared with fewer than 20,000 in 2024, according to the LAEDC.[68]
  • $62,129 was the average annual wage for apparel workers in Los Angeles County in 2024.[68]
  • 19,821 apparel employees worked in Los Angeles County in 2024, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.[68]

The garment industry in California

  • 19,821 apparel-cluster employees worked in Los Angeles County in 2024.[68]
  • $62,129 was the average annual wage for apparel-cluster employees in Los Angeles County in 2024.[68]
  • $3,765.6 million was California’s gross domestic product from apparel, leather, and allied product manufacturing in 2025.[69]

Key questions about the Garment Industry

What is the global garment market size for 2025, and where is it heading by 2030?
The global garment market is estimated at $1.9 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.3 trillion by 2030.
How fast is the garment market expected to grow from 2025 to 2030?
Forecast CAGR for 2025–2030 is 4%, based on growth from $1.9 trillion in 2025 to $2.3 trillion by 2030.
Which companies lead the garment industry?
Fast Retailing leads Gitnux's 2026 garment ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with ¥3.4 trillion FY2025 revenue reported through global apparel businesses. Inditex is the highest-ranked fashion retailer and garment producer at 9.5, backed by €39.9 billion 2025 revenue across its global fashion business.
What technology shifts are showing up across apparel operations?
Generative AI adoption is widespread: 62% of global fashion executives reported using generative AI in 2023, and 33% of apparel organizations were already using AI in 2024.
How concentrated is garment production across sourcing hubs?
Production is concentrated in Asian manufacturing hubs: China exported $157.1 billion in 2025, with a 27.35% global share, while Bangladesh exported $38.8 billion and Vietnam exported $37.5 billion.
What EU regulatory direction affects textile apparel data and sustainability claims?
The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation identifies textile apparel as a priority product group for ecodesign requirements and Digital Product Passports under the 2025–2030 working plan.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Garment Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/garment-industry-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Garment Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/garment-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Garment Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/garment-industry-statistics.

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