Garment manufacturing is a globally distributed industry whose measured footprint spans factories, textile and footwear supply chains, agricultural inputs, and waste systems. The statistics below make those boundaries explicit: many ILO figures cover garments, textiles and footwear (GTF), while cotton and environmental measures describe upstream or sector-wide conditions rather than garment output alone.
Key Garment Manufacturing Statistics
The most useful headline figures include:
- In 2019, Asia accounted for approximately 55% of global textiles and clothing exports.
- In 2019 or the latest available country year, approximately 60 million workers were employed in Asia’s garment, textiles and footwear sectors.
- Before COVID-19, Asia-Pacific GTF exports were estimated at US$601 billion, or 60% of global industry value.
- In 2019, GTF represented 21.1% of manufacturing employment in Asia and the Pacific.
- In the European Union’s latest Commission overview, the textile industrial ecosystem included more than 267,000 enterprises and €163 billion in turnover.
- China had approximately 22–23 million GTF workers in the latest available year referenced by the ILO report.
- India had approximately 14–15 million GTF workers in the latest available year referenced by the ILO report.
- Bangladesh, Pakistan and Viet Nam each employed nearly 5 million GTF workers during their cited 2017–2019 reference periods.
- In 2019 or the latest available year, GTF accounted for 72% of manufacturing employment in Cambodia.
- In the latest available survey years, women represented 86% of garment workers in Myanmar.
- In 2019, women accounted for 35 million GTF workers in Asia and the Pacific.
- In the latest available survey years, average monthly nominal garment-sector wages ranged from about US$100 to US$160 across Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- From 2012 to 2019, real average monthly GTF wages grew 11.7% annually in Cambodia.
- In the 2024/25 marketing year forecast, global cotton use was 116.9 million bales.
- In 2020/21, global cotton consumption reached a record 124.3 million bales.
- The textile sector is estimated to produce 2–8% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
- In 2023, 8% of textile fibres came from recycled sources.
- In 2023, less than 1% of the total fibre market came from textile-to-textile recycling.
Contents
- Key Garment Manufacturing Statistics
- Global Garment Manufacturing Scale and Asian Production
- Garment Manufacturing Employment by Country
- Women’s Participation and Informal Work
- Garment Manufacturing Wages and Pay Trends
- Cotton Supply and Demand Data
- Garment Waste, Recycling and Environmental Statistics
Global Garment Manufacturing Scale and Asian Production
The ILO’s regional evidence shows why Asia is central to garment manufacturing statistics, while also warning that the broadest comparable measures include textiles and footwear. In 2019, Asia supplied approximately 55% of global textiles and clothing exports, and its GTF sectors provided work for approximately 60 million people.
| Measure | Period | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Asia textiles and clothing exports | 2019 | Approximately 55% of global exports |
| Asia-Pacific GTF exports | Before COVID-19 / 2019 reference | US$601 billion; 60% of global industry value |
| GTF share of total employment, Asia-Pacific | 2019 | 3–4% |
| GTF share of manufacturing employment, Asia-Pacific | 2019 | 21.1% |
The Asia-Pacific GTF export estimate of US$601 billion equals 60% of global industry value in the cited ILO comparison. The same source estimates GTF at 3–4% of total employment in Asia-Pacific, compared with 1.6% in other regions; these are regional estimates, not garment-only counts. ILO, Employment, wages and productivity trends in the Asian garment sector and ILO, Moving the Needle.
Within Asia-Pacific, GTF represented 4.3% of total employment in South Asia, 3.7% in South-East Asia and the Pacific, and 2.6% in East Asia during 2019. The country and regional denominators matter because the figures cover a combined sector rather than a single garment-production category.
The European Union provides a different boundary. The European Commission’s latest overview places the EU textile industrial ecosystem at €163 billion in turnover and more than 267,000 enterprises, while its 2019 gross value added was approximately €86.3 billion, or 0.7% of total EU value added; the ecosystem includes textiles, apparel, footwear, leather, jewellery, distribution and related activities. European Commission, Textiles.
Garment Manufacturing Employment by Country
Country estimates illustrate concentration but should not be read as a uniform ranking of garment-only jobs. The ILO uses GTF coverage, different latest available years, and, for China, an estimation basis that is not directly identical to labour-force-survey employment counts.
| Country | Reference period | Estimated or observed GTF employment |
|---|---|---|
| China | Latest available year; report reference 2019 | Approximately 22–23 million |
| India | Latest available year; report reference 2019 | Approximately 14–15 million |
| Bangladesh | 2017–2019 | Nearly 5 million |
| Pakistan | 2017–2019 | Nearly 5 million |
| Viet Nam | 2017–2019 | Nearly 5 million |
| Indonesia | 2015 | Over 4 million |
| Myanmar | 2019 | 1.2 million |
China’s estimated 22–23 million GTF workers and India’s estimated 14–15 million are the largest country figures in this set. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Viet Nam each had nearly 5 million GTF workers in the cited 2017–2019 period, while Indonesia had over 4 million in 2015 and Myanmar had 1.2 million in 2019. ILO, Employment, wages and productivity trends in the Asian garment sector.
GTF also varies in importance inside national manufacturing systems. In 2019 or the latest available year, it represented 72% of manufacturing employment in Cambodia, 55% in Bangladesh and 51% in Myanmar, showing how strongly the combined sector can shape industrial employment in export-oriented economies.
Women’s Participation and Informal Work
Garment manufacturing is a major source of work for women in Asia-Pacific, but participation differs sharply by country and measurement. In 2019, the ILO estimated that women accounted for 35 million GTF workers in Asia and the Pacific, equal to 5.2% of all working women and 27.9% of women working in manufacturing.
| Geography | Period | Women’s share of garment workers |
|---|---|---|
| Myanmar | Latest available survey year | 86% |
| Malaysia | Latest available survey year | 80% |
| Cambodia | Latest available survey year | 76% |
| Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam | Latest available survey years | 70–73% |
| Bangladesh | Latest available survey year | 44% |
| India | Latest available survey year | 39% |
| Pakistan | Latest available survey year | 39% |
These are garment-worker survey estimates, not necessarily the same population as the broader GTF employment totals. The ILO notes that measured workers and employees do not necessarily capture every supply-chain worker, and informality is defined by the nature of the job rather than simply whether a production unit is formally registered. ILO, Employment, wages and productivity trends in the Asian garment sector.
Myanmar’s 86% female share was the highest in the cited survey comparisons, followed by Malaysia at 80% and Cambodia at 76%. Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam fell in a 70–73% range, whereas Bangladesh was 44% and India and Pakistan were each 39%.
Garment Manufacturing Wages and Pay Trends
Nominal monthly wages differ considerably across the cited Asian garment-sector surveys, and the country years are not identical. The figures were converted to current US dollars using World Bank exchange rates, so they are useful for describing reported levels but not for a same-year cost-of-living comparison.
| Countries | Period | Average monthly nominal wage |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka | Latest available survey years | Approximately US$100–160 |
| Philippines, Cambodia and Viet Nam | Latest available survey years | Approximately US$215–280 |
| Thailand | Latest available survey year | Approximately US$362 |
Real wage growth adds a different perspective from nominal wage levels. ILO calculations from survey data show annual real average monthly GTF wage growth of 11.7% in Cambodia from 2012–2019, 8.1% in Myanmar from 2015–2019, 2.9% in Indonesia from 2010–2015 and 2.8% in Pakistan from 2010–2018. ILO, Employment, wages and productivity trends in the Asian garment sector.
Pay differences by gender remain another measured outcome. The reported gender pay gap was 41% in Pakistan’s GTF sector and 22% in Bangladesh’s, defined as the female–male hourly earnings difference as a percentage of male earnings; in the cited Indonesia comparison, women earned 5% more than men per hour, although monthly wage comparisons can show a different gap.
Cotton Supply and Demand Data
Cotton statistics describe a key material input rather than finished garment output. The USDA’s Cotton: World Markets and Trade uses marketing years, so the 2024/25 figures refer to August 2024 through July 2025 and are forecasts rather than final realized use.
| Cotton measure | Marketing period | World or country result |
|---|---|---|
| Global cotton use forecast | 2024/25 | 116.9 million bales |
| Global cotton consumption | 2020/21 | Record 124.3 million bales |
| Average global consumption | 2022/23–2023/24 | Roughly 112.5 million bales |
| China cotton mill use forecast | 2024/25 | 39.0 million bales |
| China and India combined share of global mill use | 2024/25 | Forecast 55% |
The 2024/25 global-use forecast was 3.5 million bales above the prior year and 3.0% higher year over year. Against that near-term forecast, the long-term average annual growth in global cotton consumption since 1960/61 was 1.6%, while 2020/21 remains the recorded peak in the cited series. USDA, Cotton: World Markets and Trade, May 2024.
Garment Waste, Recycling and Environmental Statistics
Environmental estimates usually cover the textile or fashion system rather than garment factories alone. UNEP estimates that textiles produce 2–8% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, use about 215 trillion litres of water annually, and contribute 9% of microplastic pollution flowing into the ocean; the emissions range reflects differing boundaries and methods.
The annual water estimate is equivalent to about 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. This is a sector-wide equivalence, not a direct measure of process water used inside garment factories. UNEP, The International Day of Zero Waste: Key messages 2025.
| Environmental measure | Period | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Textile fibres from recycled sources | 2023 | 8% |
| Total fibre market from textile-to-textile recycling | 2023 context | Less than 1% |
| Estimated annual material-value loss from limited recycling | Annual estimate | More than US$100 billion |
| Fashion land requirement for fibre production | 2030 projection | 35% more land; equivalent to 115 million hectares |
Only 8% of textile fibres came from recycled sources in 2023, and less than 1% of the total fibre market came from textile-to-textile recycling. UNEP estimated the associated annual material-value loss at more than US$100 billion, which is lost material value rather than manufacturing revenue.
Upstream cotton adds agricultural pressure to the manufacturing picture. Cotton cultivation uses 3% of the world’s arable land, accounts for 5% of pesticides measured by total pesticide sales, and accounts for 10% of insecticides; these are agricultural estimates and do not measure garment-production land or factory chemical use. UNEP, The International Day of Zero Waste: Key messages 2025.
Fashion is projected to use 35% more land for fibre production by 2030, equivalent to an additional 115 million hectares in the cited UNEP estimate. Because this is a projection, it should be separated from the observed 2023 recycling share and from current sector-wide environmental estimates.