Brazilian textile and apparel sector for 2022

  • Textile and Apparel Chain Revenue: R$221 billion in 2024 (IEMI 2025);
  • Exports (excluding cotton fiber): US$ 952 million in 2025 versus US$ 908 billion in 2024 (Comexstat/MDIC);
  • Imports (excluding cotton fiber): US$ 6.8 billion in 2025, versus US$ 6.6 billion in 2024 (Comexstat/MDIC);
  • Trade balance (excluding cotton fiber): Negative US$ 5.9 billion in 2025, versus negative US$ 5.7 billion in 2024 (Comexstat/MDIC);
  • Investments in the sector: R$ 4.76 billion in 2024 (IEMI 2025);
  • Production of clothing (apparel, socks and accessories, home goods and technical articles): 8.4 billion pieces in 2024 versus 8.02 billion pieces in 2023 (IEMI 2025);
  • Volume of textile production: 2.2 million tons in 2024 versus 2 million tons in 2023 (IEMI 2025);
  • Workers: 1.34 million formal employees (IEMI 2025) and 8 million when we add indirect and income effect workers, of which 60% are female workers.
  • Number of companies: 25,700 formal production units nationwide (IEMI 2025);
  • Other figures from the Brazilian T&C sector:
  • The garment sector is the 2nd largest employer in the manufacturing industry, second only to food (PIA – 2021; companies with 5 or more employees);
  • Among the five largest producers and consumers of denim in the world, maintaining its prominent global position as a “producer-consumer” country;
  • Among the four largest producers of knitwear in the world, with a production that totaled 475.8 thousand tons in 2024;
  • In 2024, it represented 9.2% of the total workers allocated to industrial production (considering direct labor) and 4.5% of the total value of production in the Brazilian manufacturing industry (IEMI 2025);
  • More than 200 higher education fashion courses spread throughout Brazil;
  • Brazil has the largest complete textile chain in the West. Only we still have everything from fiber production, such as cotton plantations, to fashion shows, including spinning mills, weaving mills, finishing plants, garment manufacturing, and a strong retail sector;
  • The industry has been in the country for over 200 years;
  • Brazil is a world reference in beachwear, jeanswear and homewear design, and has also grown in the fitness and lingerie segments

*Data updated in June 2026