Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
Textiles and clothing industry in Turkey - statistics & facts
Turkey ranked as the fourth largest exporter of textiles worldwide in 2022, accounting for over four percent of all exports. The industry is also still showing signs of growth, with the value of both textiles and clothing exported having more than tripled since 2000.
A large proportion of the textile and apparel goods leaving Turkey arrived in locations inside Europe, with Germany, and Spain ranking as the top two destinations for knitted or crocheted apparel and clothing accessories. In 2023, these two countries together accounted for approximately two billion dollars’ worth of exports. With a long history of textile manufacturing dating back to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey remains an important country in the global textile and apparel industry.
Turkey has established itself as one of the global leaders in the textile and clothing industry. Despite recent challenges, such as high inflation and currency devaluation, the industry continues to grow and remains a cornerstone of the Turkish economy.
Leading producers
For Turkey’s top players, textile and apparel production has been clearly a profitable business. Among those most successful were Merinos Halı, Kipas Mensucat Isletmeleri, and Gülsan Sentetik Dokuma Sanayi responsible for textile manufacturing. These companies made a respective 15.6 billion, 10 billion and nine million Turkish lira in production-based sales in 2023. The leading apparel manufacturers in the country, meanwhile, were Hugo Boss Tekstil Sanayi and Almaxtex Tekstil, generating approximately 7.7 billion and six Turkish lira, respectively, in that same year.Retail sector
As well as the successful manufacturing and trade industries, Turkey’s retail market for textiles and clothing is also strong. Since 2002, consumer spending on such items has increased considerably, reaching a record value in 2023. Turkish households spent nearly 26 million Turkish lira per month on clothing in that year, which indicated a 115 percent increase compared to the figures in the previous year. Despite the rapid growth of e-commerce in the past few years, the number of physical clothing shops kept rising. Given that, there are over 60,800 stores selling clothing in the country, the retail sector was also a key area for employment. As of 2021, these stores employed more than 277,000 people.Turkey has established itself as one of the global leaders in the textile and clothing industry. Despite recent challenges, such as high inflation and currency devaluation, the industry continues to grow and remains a cornerstone of the Turkish economy.
