Fashion

37 positive & uplifting sustainable fashion statistics

Last updated: November 13, 2024
Ryan Davis

There’s no doubt that we could, and should, all be doing more to ensure less clothing ends up in landfill and more clothing production is powered by green energy. Nevertheless, the sustainable fashion statistics below show the industry is experiencing impressive growth (and can also be extremely lucrative).

We update this content regularly to make sure it is as useful as possible: We haven’t included any statistics from studies or research published more than three years ago. Sources for all statistics can be found at the bottom of the page.

5 key positive sustainable fashion statistics

More than half (57%) of all consumers in the US and UK want fashion to be more sustainable.
The US secondhand clothing market grew seven times faster than the overall fashion retail market in 2023.
Users searched for the term “sustainable fashion” on Google 5.5 times more often in 2024 than 10 years ago.
More than 160 brands now have their own resale programs, compared to just 4 in 2018.
54% of US and UK consumers said they’d be happy with slower deliveries for fashion purchases if it allowed companies to cut the number of truck/van journeys.

Sustainable fashion market size statistics

The global sustainable fashion market size was valued at more than $7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $13.5 billion by 2031 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.58%.
Europe accounts for around one-third (36.09%) of the global sustainable fashion market, with a valuation of $2.55 billion.
The sustainable fashion market is expected to grow fastest in the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years at an estimated CAGR of 10.77% through 2031.
The global revenue share of the ‘sustainable’ segment of the apparel market has increased for thirteen years in a row and is expected to reach 6.14% by 2026.
The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2028, growing times faster than the overall global apparel market.

Second-hand clothing & clothing resale statistics

In 2023, the global market value of secondhand and resale apparel was estimated to be worth $197 billion. This value is projected to rise rapidly in the coming years, increasing by roughly 100 billion dollars by 2026.
Global sales of pre-owned clothes surged by 18% year-on-year in 2023 to $197bn (£156bn) and are forecast to reach $350bn in 2028.
A 2024 GlobalData report showed that more than half of all shoppers have bought something secondhand in the past year, including 65% of generation Z and millennials.
Almost two in five (38%) of consumers said they shop secondhand to afford higher end brands.
25% of consumers resold apparel in 2023 – nearly at parity with 2021 figures when post-pandemic activity was elevated.

Statistics on sustainable fashion brands

More than 85% of leading brands have publicly declared decarbonization targets for their supply chains.
74% of retail executives who don’t currently offer resale are either considering or planning on getting into resale in the future, up 5 pts from 2022
According to ThredUp’s 2024 analysis, the best brands for resale are Lululemon Athletica, Patagonia, and Vuori.
10 major fashion brands including Burberry, Chanel, and Nike, are now members of The Climate Group RE100, a global initiative to commit to sourcing 100% of their energy from renewable suppliers.
62% of retail executives say their customers care about their brand being sustainable.
The global sustainable clothing industry is highly fragmented in nature: Prominent players such as Adidas, Patagonia, EILEEN FISHER, Everlane, and Under Armour Inc command a combined market share of just 5% to 10%.
Analysis indicates that brands that act now to secure a preferred-raw-materials supply for the future will be positioned to capture an estimated average 6% profit uplift after five years.

Sustainable fashion consumer behavior statistics

More than one quarter (26%) of consumers in the UK claim that sustainability considerations drive their purchase decisions.
46% of UK consumers say that they always donate old clothes, footwear or accessories to charity.
59% of respondents to a 2024 survey conducted by Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification said they’d be willing to pay more for clothes made from material certified from organizations such as Organic Cotton, Responsible Wool Standard or PEFC, with 43% indicating they’d be willing to pay an additional 10% or more.
More than 60% of respondents to the PEFC survey said the presence of a sustainability label on clothing positively influences their purchasing decisions.
Younger people tend to be more likely to select sustainable fashion options. For example, a 2023 study showed that 50% of young people in Japan actively choose sustainable fashion items compared to just 32% of people in their 60s.

Types of sustainable fashion

The ethical product type with the largest sustainable fashion market share is animal cruelty free products, which accounted for 43.3% of the total ethical fashion market in 2022.
Going forward, the eco-friendly market is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the ethical fashion market, with an expected CAGR of 10.6% through 2027.
Organic cotton is the most popular raw material for sustainable apparel production, accounting for 37% of the market in 2023.
Sales of Fairtrade certified cotton products in India increased by over 270 percent between 2019 and 2022.

Clothes recycling statistics

Estimates indicate that up to 70 percent of textile waste could be fiber-to-fiber recycled in a fully mature circular fashion industry.
The fiber-to-fiber recycling industry in the EU could generate between €1.5 billion to €2.2 billion in profits by 2030.
The European Commission estimates that 20 to 35 jobs can be created for each 1000 tonnes of textiles collected for re-use.

Statistics about sustainable fashion policies

52% of US Gen Z and Millennial consumers believe the government should take legislative action to help promote sustainable fashion.
40% of US consumers say they’re more likely to vote for a candidate that supports sustainable fashion.
58% of retail executives say they’d invest in sustainable business or materials innovation if they qualified for government grants

Sources