Denim is a sturdy cotton twill textile. It is woven with a gray, indigo, or mottled white yarn and is popularly used for jeans, jackets, dresses, overalls, and much more. Denim is known for being comfortable, as it ages well and does not require frequent washing (The Fabric of Our Lives, n.d.).
Though styles are changing (skinny jeans are no longer the best-selling style of women’s jeans), Statista reports that the global denim jeans market is projected to grow from $64.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 to roughly $76.1 billion by 2026. Since the pandemic started, 37% of consumers around the world say they are wearing denim jeans more than before, according to the Global Denim Survey (Salfino, 2022).
The Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton Incorporated conducted their 2021 Global Denim Survey in the following countries: China, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, India, and Mexico. The survey’s findings are compared in the table below.
|
Country
|
Growth of Denim Jeans market from 2021-2026
|
Top Purchase Drivers
|
Where Consumers Purchase Jeans
|
Citizens Own an Average of This Many Pairs of Jeans
|
|
China
|
19%
|
Comfort
Fit
Quality
|
40% in-store
32% in store/online
28% online
|
11
|
|
United States
|
26%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
Durability
Price
|
58% in-store
24% in-store/online
17% online
|
11
|
|
United Kingdom
|
20%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
Durability
Price
|
50% in-store
26% in-store/online
24% online
|
7
|
|
France
|
8%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
|
60% in-store
26% in-store/online
14% online
|
9
|
|
Germany
|
26%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
Durability
Holds shape
|
50% in-store
27% in-store/online
23% online
|
9
|
|
Italy
|
22%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
|
61% in-store
29% in-store/online
10% online
|
9
|
|
Netherlands
|
22%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
Price
Durability
|
52% in-store
24% in-store/online
24% online
|
9
|
|
Spain
|
33%
|
Fit
Comfort
Quality
|
55% in-store
29% in-store/online
9% online
|
9
|
|
India
|
108%
|
Quality
Comfort
Fit
Durability
Price
|
46% in-store
27% in-store/online
27% online
|
12
|
|
Mexico
|
35%
|
Quality
Fit
Comfort
|
66% in-store
28% in-store/online
6% online
|
16
|
Denim and sustainability
Though denim is durable, its manufacturing has required large amounts of water, labor, and sometimes toxic dyes. A number of companies are seeking to improve the process in various ways, working with different blends, less water, etc. No doubt further technologies and developments will improve the denim lifecycle, enabling its continued popularity for years to come.
References
Cotton Inc. (2022). Supply chain insights. https://www.cottoninc.com/market-data/supply-chain-insights/
Salfino, C. (2022, September 29). These are the top global denim trends for 2023. Sourcing Journal. https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/lifestyle-monitor/top-global-denim-trends-2023-npd-group-skinny-jeans-painter-cargo-376693/
The Fabric of Our Lives. (n.d.). Denim. https://thefabricofourlives.com/cotton-fabrics/denim
