UK Clothing Manufacturing Employment Statistics

Garment and apparel manufacturing (SIC 14) directly employs approximately 88,000 people in the UK, based on ONS Business Register and Employment Survey data. The broader textiles manufacturing sector (SIC 13, covering yarn, fabric, and technical textiles) employs a further estimated 50,000 workers, separate from garment assembly.

The UKFT / Oxford Economics Footprint Report uses a broader definition of the sector that includes design, product development, wholesale, retail, logistics, and aftercare alongside manufacturing, arriving at 1.3 million jobs supported across the full value chain as of its 2021 base year. The report identifies roughly 260,000 of those jobs in “creating and making,” design, development, and manufacturing, contrasted with over a million jobs across distribution, retail, and aftercare. This reflects the industry’s current structure: heavily weighted toward retail and distribution, with a smaller but strategically important manufacturing base.

UK garment manufacturing (SIC 14) saw a meaningful increase in the number of active manufacturers over the decade to 2020, a genuine reversal of decades-long contraction, driven by reshoring interest and demand for shorter, more transparent supply chains. Our reshoring guide covers what that trend looks like in practice for individual brands, and the more measured picture behind the headline.

UK Fashion Market Size and Value

Commercial market-size estimates for UK fashion vary by provider, methodology, and what’s included, and should be read as estimates rather than fixed totals. IBISWorld puts UK clothing manufacturing’s market size at around £2.6 billion for 2026, a sector that has been declining at roughly a 2.5% compound annual rate, with the industry expected to continue contracting over the next five years. By contrast, IBISWorld’s broader UK textiles manufacturing category, covering fibre preparation, spinning, weaving, and finishing rather than garment assembly, has been growing, expanding at around a 3.7% compound annual rate between 2020 and 2025.

That divergence matters for context: the part of UK manufacturing closest to garment assembly is shrinking, while the part closest to fabric and textile production is genuinely growing, driven by demand for high-quality niche product rather than commodity volume.

GDP contribution. The most authoritative single figure for the UK fashion and textile industry’s full economic contribution remains the UKFT / Oxford Economics Footprint Report: £62 billion in GDP contribution, £23 billion in tax revenues, and 1.3 million jobs supported, on a 2021 base year.

UK Clothing Export and Import Data

UK clothing exports have declined consistently since their 2021 peak, as European demand slowed and post-Brexit rules of origin added complexity for exports to the EU.

Full year 2024: UK clothing exports fell 11.74% to £3,320 million, down from £3,772 million in 2023 and £4,263 million in 2021. Textile fabric exports remained broadly stable at £2,733 million (versus £2,727 million in 2023). Fibre exports increased to £707 million, up from £649 million in 2023.

Clothing imports 2024: UK clothing imports fell 7.06% to £14,612 million, down from £15,702 million in 2023 and from a peak of £21,203 million in 2022. The sustained import contraction reflects cautious brand ordering, inventory drawdown, and some genuine nearshoring of production. Our import duties guide covers how UK trade agreements affect what brands actually pay on these imports, country by country.

Source: ONS Overseas Trade Statistics, via Fibre2Fashion reporting.

The structural trade gap, UK clothing imports substantially exceeding exports, has been a consistent feature of the sector for decades. The 2024 figures show the gap narrowing year on year, driven primarily by import contraction rather than meaningful export growth.

Context: Brexit’s impact on clothing exports to the EU. From January 2022, tariffs were applied to clothing and textile exports to the EU for products not meeting UK rules of origin. The sustained decline in EU-bound clothing exports from 2022 onwards reflects both the tariff burden where it genuinely applies and the additional administrative steps required to claim tariff preference where goods do qualify.

Consumer Spending on Clothing in the UK

Average price per item. The average cost per item of clothing in the UK was £16.70 in 2023, a 2% decrease compared to 2015, reflecting sustained deflationary pressure from offshore production and fast fashion competition.

Online returns. Returns remain a significant cost burden for UK clothing retailers, with online apparel return rates consistently cited as among the highest of any retail category, a growing pressure on margins industry-wide.

UK Sustainable Fashion Market Data

Consumer attitudes. According to Made in Britain’s Buying British Survey, conducted annually with around 2,000 UK consumers and 1,000 business decision-makers, 49% of consumer respondents say they prefer to buy British-made clothing. The Made in Britain trademark is recognised by 56% of British consumers as of the 2024 survey, up from 50% the previous year, and a subsequent 2025 survey found 49% of shoppers had specifically seen the trademark while shopping, with one in three consumers saying they “always or often” consider whether a non-food item is made in Britain.

Clothing waste. Approximately 1.45 million tonnes of used textiles were generated in the UK in 2022. Of this, around 276,000 tonnes were sold to the public through resale, 650,000 tonnes were diverted to reuse and recycling, and 421,600 tonnes were exported. Separately, around 711,000 tonnes of used textiles were discarded in general household waste in 2021, roughly 35 items per person per year on average, with the large majority of that incinerated with energy recovery rather than landfilled.

UK Textiles Pact. WRAP’s UK Textiles Pact has well over 100 member organisations committed to a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint of new textile products and a 30% reduction in water footprint by 2030.

Where to Find Primary UK Fashion Industry Data

UKFT (UK Fashion and Textile Association) publishes an annual Facts and Figures report for members and the publicly available Oxford Economics Footprint Report, the primary source for comprehensive sector-wide employment, turnover, and trade data.

ONS (Office for National Statistics) publishes ad hoc data releases on the fashion and textile industry, including Business Register and Employment Survey data by SIC code. The Fashion Industry 2023 adhoc release is the most recent publicly available ONS release covering fashion-specific employment and turnover.

WRAP’s Textiles Market Situation Report is the most authoritative report on UK textile consumption, import and export volumes, pricing, and waste, with the most recent edition published in 2024.

Made in Britain’s Buying British Survey tracks consumer and business attitudes toward UK-made products annually, including trademark recognition and purchasing preference.

HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics provide monthly and quarterly trade data for clothing and textile exports and imports by commodity and country, accessible via the GOV.UK trade statistics collection.

UK Fashion Industry Statistics: Questions Brands Ask Us

How much does the UK fashion industry contribute to GDP?

The most authoritative figure is £62 billion in GDP contribution, from the UKFT / Oxford Economics Industry Footprint Report, using 2021 as the base year. This figure encompasses the full value chain, design, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and aftercare, not just garment production. The report also found that the sector raises £23 billion in tax revenues and supports 1.3 million jobs.

How many people work in UK fashion manufacturing?

Approximately 88,000 people are employed in garment and apparel manufacturing (SIC 14) in the UK, based on ONS Business Register data. A further estimated 50,000 work in the broader textile manufacturing sector (SIC 13, yarns, fabrics, technical textiles). The full fashion and textile sector, including wholesale and retail, supports a far larger workforce once the entire value chain is counted.

How much does the UK export in clothing?

UK clothing exports totalled £3,320 million in 2024, an 11.74% decline on 2023. The contraction is primarily driven by sluggish demand in Europe, the UK’s largest export market for clothing. Post-Brexit rules of origin requirements have added friction to EU-bound clothing exports for products not meeting UK origin criteria, though genuinely qualifying goods can still claim preferential treatment.

What is the average price of clothing in the UK?

The average cost per item of clothing in the UK was £16.70 in 2023, according to WRAP’s Textiles Market Situation Report 2024. This represents a 2% decrease compared to 2015, reflecting sustained deflationary pressure from offshore production and fast fashion competition.

Do UK consumers actually prefer British-made clothing?

Yes, a meaningful proportion do. Made in Britain’s Buying British Survey found 49% of UK consumers say they prefer to buy British-made clothing specifically, with trademark recognition rising to 56% of consumers in 2024. The main driver cited is a desire to support UK jobs and the domestic economy, though price and availability remain real barriers, with consumers in follow-up research citing lower prices and wider availability as the top two things that would increase their British purchasing.

Where can I find free, publicly available UK fashion industry statistics?

The primary free sources are the UKFT / Oxford Economics Footprint Report, available on request from UKFT, the ONS fashion industry adhoc data releases, HMRC’s Overseas Trade Statistics collection, and WRAP’s Textiles Market Situation Report. Made in Britain’s Buying British Survey results are also published openly. Full details and links are in the data sources section above.

A Note on Data Accuracy

UK fashion industry statistics are published across multiple sources with different definitions, methodologies, and base years. The £62 billion GDP figure (UKFT / Oxford Economics) covers the full industry including retail and aftercare; manufacturing-specific turnover figures cover production only. Both can be correct simultaneously, they’re measuring different things.

When citing UK fashion industry statistics, always note the source, the base year, and what the figure includes. A figure covering all fashion employment including retail and logistics will be substantially larger than one covering manufacturing alone. This distinction is frequently lost in secondary reporting, and it’s the single most common way these statistics get misquoted.

For context on how UK clothing manufacturing fits into your sourcing and brand strategy, our Complete Guide to Clothing Manufacturers in UK covers the full picture.