European textile and apparel revenue stable in 2016

The European textile and apparel industry generated a revenue of €171.1 billion in 2016, equivalent to a 1.1% increase. According to the latest figures published by Euratex, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, European household consumption in textiles remained stable at €512.6 billion, and the same was true for extra-EU imports (worth €110 billion) and exports (€44.7 billion).

Though industry professionals would prefer to see an unambiguous increase, the figures nevertheless underlined the upward trend observed since 2012. From 174,862 companies in 2015, the sector grew to 177,684 last year, of which 121,751 were active in the apparel business, 55,852 in textiles and 80 in handmade goods. The total number of industry jobs was static however, growing in one year from 1.688 million to 1.692 million only.

Not surprisingly, womenswear had the lion's share of both imports (36%) and exports (40%), while menswear accounted for nearly one quarter of the goods exported to or imported from outside the EU. On the materials' side, tech fabrics accounted for 23% of imports and 28% of exports. Fibres and yarns instead had a 14% share of imports, ahead of knitwear (6%) and natural fibres (6%).

These figures confirm and complete those published last March by the French Fashion Institute (IFM) regarding European textile and apparel imports and exports. Figures which already painted a welcome picture of stability for imports, after the 6% and 10% upturns observed in the previous two years.

Euratex groups together 174,500 European companies in the textile/apparel industry, as well as several industry representation bodies. Collectively, Euratex speaks for nearly 1.7 million workers, with a global revenue close to €170 billion.

European textile and apparel revenue stable in 2016

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