20 Brazil Apparel Industry Statistics, Trends & Analysis

Brazil offers a unique climate that global competitors in the apparel industry cannot match. They do not experience a complete changing of the seasons, which allows the industry to supply cotton during a time when the rest of the world cannot.

That one fact allows the Brazil apparel industry to create a niche for itself in the global export market. The rise of demand for cotton coming from this industry continues to climb steadily, even though the country still produces three times less than either India or China in that segment.

It is understandable considering that Brazil didn’t really have an apparel or textiles industry until the year 2000.

Textiles have seen rapid growth in the Brazil apparel industry as well in recent years. The industry currently produces 2.4% of the products currently made in the world today. That ranks them far behind the 50% achieved by China, but it is still an impressive result considering where this market segment was just a decade ago.

Although the apparel industry in Brazil focuses on summer brands because of the climate, they influence luxury products and younger manufacturers in countries all over the world. As vendors seek to promote their internal brands, this shift will cause the apparel industry to become an open market serving everyone in some way.

Interesting Brazil Apparel Industry Statistics

#1. The Brazil apparel market was valued at $31.4 billion in 2017, witnessing substantial growing because of increasing consumer spending power and enthusiastic consumerism within the country. (Hexa Research)

#2. More than 60% of the population in the country is under the age of 29, which makes it the prime demographic for retailers as they tend to have the most disposable income. (Hexa Research)

#3. The total number of employees who are working for the apparel industry in Brazil right now totals 33,000, but there are up to 1.7 million indirect opportunities created by the industry as a whole. (Fashion United)

#4. Brazil is currently the fourth-largest exporter of cotton, which has helped the apparel industry become a slow, but steady leader in the global market. (Textile Today)

#5. The textile and apparel industry in Brazil seeks to equal more than 5% of the GNP for 2018. (Textile Today)

#6. There are currently over more than 30,000 companies providing services to the apparel industry through textiles, cotton, leather, footwear, and fashion. Over 2 million tons worth of textiles reach the global export market from Brazil each year. (Textile Today)

#7. 60% of the garments that are imported to Brazil from Asia come from China, with the total cost surpassing $1.45 billion in 2017. That value represents an increase in cost by more than 500% since 2006 for the apparel industry. (Textile Today)

#8. Brazil saw their exports to the Middle East surge in 2017 compared to the year before, with an impressive 87.5% gain in YoY figures for January and February. The total value of this segment is about $1.5 million per month. (Textile Today)

#9. Brazilian apparel and textile companies participating in the Apex-Brazil investment program were able to increase their exports to the Middle East by more than 40% in 2017.

#10. Average textile production rates for the Brazil apparel industry in 2017 were 1.7 million tons, which is 100,000 tons higher than the year before. Over 6.71 billion apparel items were manufactured during this period, which is over 400 million more than the year before. (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry)

#11. The apparel industry in Brazil, when all of its segments are counted, is the second-largest job creator in the country. It’s also the second-largest employer behind the food manufacturing industry, with 75% of the jobs filled by women. (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry)

#12. Brazil ranks in the top 5 globally in the production of textiles, apparel production, denim, and knitwear. Their fashion week is also one of the five largest in the world today. There are over 100 different fashion schools or universities offering classes. (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry)

#13. More than 9.4 billion manufactured items are created each year because of the country’s self-sufficient cotton production when products outside of the apparel industry are also considered. (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry)

#14. Despite all the gains experienced by the industry, the trade balance for apparel (excluding cotton fiber) is in the red by $4.1 billion. The industry lost $900 million in trade deficits from the year before. (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry)

#15. Cotton farmers are paid in a unique way by the Brazil apparel industry, with 50% of their fee paid upfront, then the remainder offered upon delivery. This structure helps to solidify the consistency of the domestic economy, encouraging year-round sales. (The Guardian)

#16. Even with the deficits to consider, the trade growth for Brazil in 2017 was 5.27%, while the rest of the world experienced an increase of just 1.5%. (WITS)

#17. The exports of goods and services from Brazil account for 12.5% of the GDP each year, while the import of them as a percentage of GDP is 12.13%. (WITS)

#18. The average consumer in Brazil who spends money on apparel will create revenues of $520.59 for the industry each year. (Statista)

#19. Consumers purchase an average of 30 items each year from the Brazil apparel industry from domestic locations, with the median price for each item being $17.35. (Statista)

#20. The Brazil apparel industry accounts for about 5.5% of the turnover in the manufacturing sector, representing almost 20% of the total employment opportunities that are available when all segments are considered. (Consulate General of India)

Brazil Apparel Industry Trends and Analysis

The competitive landscape in the Brazil apparel market continues to rise in profile as some of the world’s top brands seek a place to start operations. Puma, Adidas, WinCraft, and Nike have all made a push to provide products domestically, increase manufacturing capacity, and promote a stronger export market.

That makes Brazil one of the most promising apparel industries in the world today. It features a high level of fashion consciousness, diversified demographics, and an eagerness within the primary population to shop and experiment.

A secondary market for apparel is starting to open as well thanks to manufactuers opening their old stocks to the retail segment. Local companies can sell brand-name products at discount pricing, encouraging even more sales activity from the targeted demographics.

Although there will still be growing pains to endure in the next 10-year period for the Brazil apparel industry, the stage is set for consistent growth. We expect a CAGR of 4.5% annually through this forecast period if conditions remain constant within the market.