Share in world exports of the leading clothing exporters 2022, by country

In 2022, China was the top ranked global clothing exporter with a share of approximately 31.7 percent, followed by the European Union, Bangladesh, and Viet Nam. In that year, China and the European Union were also the leading textile exporters in the world.

Apparel and clothing market in Europe

Europe has one of the most lucrative apparel and clothing markets in the world. In 2020, specialized clothing stores in the European Union generated more than 139 billion euros in turnover from retail sales, continuing the downturn experienced in 2019. Between 2011 and 2020, the number of clothing and footwear retail stores in the European Union has decreased, despite steady increase in turnover from retail sales during this time period. This could be attributable to the key role e-commerce came to play in the apparel market in Europe and beyond. In 2019, there were some 262 thousand stores specializing in clothing and around 53 thousand footwear and leather goods stores in the EU.

Leading clothing retailers in Europe

Europe is home to some of the world’s most famous clothing retailers and brands. The Spanish apparel company Inditex was the leading fashion retailer in Europe, with a turnover of 17.5 billion euros in 2021. Inditex is the mother company of iconic brands such as Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear and more. The Swedish H&M (Hennes and Mauritz) followed in second place, with a turnover of around 13.2 billion euros. The German fashion retailer Zalando came in third place, with roughly 10.4 billion euros in annual turnover in 2021. A brand value comparison between H&M and Zara shows that the Swedish retailer’s brand value was higher than Zara’s.