Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
Apparel market in Europe - statistics & facts
The apparel we wear can be highly individualized, representing our mood, identity, and background Europe is home to some of the most lucrative markets for apparel and clothing worldwide, as well as some of the largest apparel companies. In 2024, the United Kingdom had the fifth highest revenue of apparel markets worldwide, at a value of nearly 86 billion U.S. dollars. This made it the highest earning clothing market in Europe, followed closely by Germany. Women’s and girl’s apparel is responsible for the largest share of the European apparel market revenue overall, making up well over half of the market.
The European apparel market solidifies its position as a global leader, with the EU not only being the largest importer, but also the second-largest exporter of clothing worldwide. Additionally, Europe is home of many of the world’s most valuable fashion brands. These two key factors, along with the many Fashion Weeks hosted in cities like Berlin, Milan, Paris, and London annually, ensure the Europe’s prominence in the global apparel industry.
Clothing trade and manufacture
The European Union is the region which imports the most clothing worldwide by quite some distance, with roughly a third of world imports. It also ranked as the second largest exporter of clothing goods, behind China, where many clothes are manufactured. With many companies in Europe choosing to outsource production to China and other cheaper locations across the world, the number of textile and clothing manufacturing companies in the European Union has fallen over the past years.Offline an online retail
Many of Europe’s most popular fashion brands are among the leading clothing companies worldwide in terms of brand value. Online, the revenue of fashion e-commerce in Europe has grown considerably since 2017. Its popularity is growing among consumers and is forecast to continue to grow rapidly, which benefits online fashion companies such as Zalando. Zalando’s revenues reached over ten billion euros in the 2023 financial year.The European apparel market solidifies its position as a global leader, with the EU not only being the largest importer, but also the second-largest exporter of clothing worldwide. Additionally, Europe is home of many of the world’s most valuable fashion brands. These two key factors, along with the many Fashion Weeks hosted in cities like Berlin, Milan, Paris, and London annually, ensure the Europe’s prominence in the global apparel industry.
