Consumer expectations of sustainable clothing product availability Australia 2022

Around 22 percent of Australian consumers consider having sustainable products available to purchase in the clothing and fashion sector as very important, according to a 2022 survey. In comparison, only twelve percent of respondents stated that they did not view the availability of sustainable clothing items as important. 

State of the Australian apparel market

In 2022, Australia recorded an apparel market revenue of around 18 billion U.S. dollars, with revenue expected to reach around 22 billion U.S. dollars by 2027. Women’s apparel is the largest segment within the Australian apparel market, generating a revenue of approximately 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, with the men’s apparel segment valued at around four billion U.S. dollars less that year. Australia manufactures, exports, and imports large quantities of new clothing annually, with trousers and shorts the most common clothing imports. The majority of apparel product imports to Australia come from China and Bangladesh.

The path to a circular fashion industry

Australians are among the biggest consumers of clothing worldwide, with the average Australian consuming around 14 kilograms of new clothing per annum. Due to high consumption levels, the country has a large clothing waste issue. Nonetheless, there is promise on the horizon. In June 2023, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) launched its Seamless initiative, which aims to transform the country’s clothing industry by expanding recycling points, educating and empowering consumers through re-education campaigns on clothing acquisition and disposal, and encouraging circular business models and production processes. Moreover, Australian consumers are slowly abandoning fast fashion and engaging more in resale activities as they become more aware of the environmental and human impacts of their consumption.