Sustainable fashion worldwide - statistics & facts

Sustainable fashion is a difficult concept to define, as there are many different criteria and phrases used to assess a clothing item’s sustainability: ‘plastic-free’, ‘organic’, ‘recycled’, among others. Some of these can even be contradictory; an item made of recycled plastic could be considered sustainable, but others would argue that the plastic still has a negative effect on the environment. This means that items can often be branded as ‘sustainable’ by retailers, even though they still have a negative environmental impact, making it challenging for consumers trying to shop for environmentally friendly fashion. This is reflected by almost half of consumers saying that they did not trust brands’ sustainability claims.

Environmental impact

What is clear is that the fashion industry has a significant impact on the environment. Greenhouse gases, water usage, and plastic waste are all concerns linked to the industry. It is estimated that 1.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents will be produced through the manufacturing and retail of apparel in the year 2030, if there is no major change in the way the industry operates. The manufacturing process produces the most greenhouse gases of all. Furthermore, the synthetic fiber, polyester, accounts for more than half of the fibers used in textile production. Polyester is not biodegradable and releases toxic microfibers into the environment. Worldwide consumption of apparel has been forecast to continue increasing over the coming years, meaning these problems will only be exacerbated.

Retail

As consumers become more aware of the importance of sustainability and increasingly consider it a key factor in their purchasing decisions, eco-friendly options are becoming increasingly accessible. As an example, the share of sustainable denim in stock has greatly increased since 2019. The sales share of sustainable clothing has also steadily risen to four percent in 2022, and the trend is forecast to continue, with the sales share set to reach over six percent by 2026. However, environmentally sustainable fashion does tend to be more expensive than average items.

Circular Fashion

One method that many propose to increase the sustainability of the fashion industry, is the adoption of more circular business models, generally split into the categories of resale, rental, repair, and recycling. Platforms such as ThredUp and Poshmark offer the chance for consumers to buy and sell second-hand clothes. Whilst this does help to reduce waste, there are practical limitations to circular fashion’s sustainable impact. Other methods need to be employed in conjunction with circularity. One such option would be to buy fewer clothes, as many consumers intend to do, to reduce consumption. Another idea is to develop new biomaterials with a much lesser environmental impact.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by P. Smith, Jun 23, 2022

Key insights

Estimated value of the ethical fashion market
7.5bn USD
Fast fashion market value
123bn USD
Revenue of the apparel market worldwide
1.5tr USD
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Secondhand apparel market value worldwide from 2021 to 2027 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Apparel & Shoes

Value of the secondhand apparel market worldwide from 2021 to 2027

Fast fashion market value forecast worldwide from 2022 to 2027 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Forecast of the fast fashion apparel market size worldwide from 2022 to 2027

Revenue share of the sustainable apparel market worldwide from 2013 to 2026

Apparel & Shoes

Revenue share of sustainable apparel worldwide 2013-2026

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Apparel market worldwide
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Fast fashion in Europe
Shared apparel
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Apparel supply chain worldwide
Apparel supply chain worldwide
Sustainable consumption in Germany
Sustainable consumption in Germany

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