$2,001
Average annual U.S. household spending on apparel and services in 2024.
This category includes clothing, footwear, and related services such as dry cleaning.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 Consumer Expenditure SurveyReference page
Clothing and textile waste statistics
Current figures on U.S. clothing spending, textile disposal, recycling, and global fiber production. Updated August 7, 2026.
View sources and methodologyThe numbers at a glance
Clothes are personal. The system around them is enormous.
These figures put everyday wardrobe decisions in a wider context. They are collected here for writers, researchers, educators, and anyone looking for a clear, attributable starting point.
2.5%
Share of total household spending that went to apparel and services in the U.S. in 2024.
The same national survey put average total annual household spending at $78,535.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey17 million tons
Textiles generated in the U.S. municipal waste stream in 2018.
The EPA says discarded clothing is the main source of textiles in this waste stream.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data14.7%
U.S. textile recycling rate in 2018.
That represents 2.5 million tons of textiles recycled from the municipal waste stream.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data13%
Estimated recycling rate for U.S. clothing and footwear in 2018.
Reuse happens before disposal and is not included in the EPA generation or recycling estimates.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data11.3 million tons
Textiles sent to U.S. landfills in 2018.
Textiles accounted for 7.7% of all municipal waste sent to landfill that year.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data132 million tonnes
Global fiber production in 2024.
Textile Exchange reports that output more than doubled from 2000 to 2024.
Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 202559%
Share of global fiber output made up by polyester in 2024.
Textile Exchange reports that 88% of polyester production was fossil-based.
Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 2025Below 1%
Share of global fiber production coming from recycled textiles in 2024.
Most recycled fiber came from sources other than pre- and post-consumer textiles.
Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 2025What these figures mean
A useful wardrobe asks more of every piece.
The data does not tell anyone what to wear. It does show why an intentional wardrobe matters: when clothes are chosen for a real life, worn often, and connected to one another, there is less pressure to keep buying substitutes for a problem that a better plan could solve.
That is the difference between accumulating clothes and building a wardrobe. A personal point of view, clear outfit options, and a realistic understanding of what a person needs are more useful than chasing the next thing.
Read Anne's guide to building a capsule wardrobeSources and methodology
How this page is maintained
Each number is linked to the organization that published it. U.S. waste figures use the EPA's most recent national textile dataset, which is for 2018. Spending figures use the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey. Global fiber figures use Textile Exchange's 2025 report covering 2024 production.
Figures from different sources should not be added together or treated as a single measurement. They use different geographies, definitions, and reporting periods.
Cite this page
“Clothing and Textile Waste Statistics.” Morrissey Style Consulting, updated August 7, 2026, https://morrisseystyle.com/clothing-and-textile-waste-statistics.
A wardrobe with a point of view
Buy less randomly. Wear more deliberately.
Anne helps clients build wardrobes that make decisions easier and every piece more useful.
Request a conversation