UK: number of clothing items purchased per year 2018 | Statista (2024)

FAQs

How much does the UK spend on clothing each year? ›

In 2019, spending on clothing reached an all-time high at approximately 58.7 billion British pounds. However, consumer spending was reduced in 2020, most likely caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of 2021, UK households spent approximately 57.3 billion British pounds on clothing.

The world now consumes about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This is 400% more than the amount we consumed just two decades ago. As new clothing comes into our lives, we also discard it at a shocking pace. The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year.

Why is nobody talking about the sheer amount of clothes that we have in our wardrobes? In the UK alone, the average adult has 118 items of clothing in their wardrobes (WRAP). In our last blog we explored how with just 33 items in your wardrobe you could potentially make 25,176 unique outfits.

According to the latest available online retail statistics, 55% of UK consumers bought at least one piece of clothing or other apparel in 2020.

This statistic presents the results of a 2018 survey, in which adults in the United Kingdom (UK) were asked how much they spend on clothing items during an average year. The most popular amount spent per year on clothing items is 51 to 100 British pounds, chosen by around 18 percent of those surveyed.

In the US, women and girls spend an average of $545 per year on clothing, while men and boys spend just $326. Footwear costs the average household $314, while clothes for children under two comes in at $68. That comes to a total of $1,434 each year on clothes – or about $120 a month.

How many times are clothes worn before being discarded? On average, clothes are only worn seven times before being discarded. And, if that weren't shocking on its own, keep in mind that we also buy 60% more clothes than in the year 2000.

Revenue in the Apparel market amounts to US$85.08bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.46% (CAGR 2023-2027).

The fashion and textile industry in England, Wales and Scotland employs 500,000 people, made up of 88,000 employed in manufacturing, 62,000 in wholesale, and 413,000 in retail. There were 34,045 businesses operating in the UK fashion and textile sector in 2020, across retail, wholesale and manufacturing.

What do most people buy in UK? ›

Frequency of clothing purchased online or in-store in the UK 2019. A 2019 survey auditing the frequency of clothing purchase by consumers in the UK reveals that 29 percent of consumers shop once every few months in-store for clothes. Whereas 4% of consumers shop less than once a year in-store for clothes.

Americans purchase more than ten times that in a given year, with most consumers buying an average of 68 new garments every year.

While dominated by clothing resale, 82% of Americans, or 272 million people, buy or sell pre-owned products, OfferUp found, including electronics, furniture, home goods and sporting equipment, as well as apparel. Much of the growth has been driven by younger shoppers, particularly teenagers, Heffes said.

The average household bills per month UK

The average monthly household bill in the UK is £1,500. This includes rent, mortgage, utilities, council tax, and TV licence. The average monthly mortgage payment in the UK is £658. The average monthly rent payment in the UK is £1,113.

However, the cost of living in the UK can be higher than in most other countries in the world. The average cost of living as a family of four is around $3,135(£2,268) without house rent. As a single person or student, the estimated cost of living per month in the UK is $900(£651) without rent.

The data reveals that male consumers in the UK spend a monthly amount of 67.1 British pounds on clothing compared to 53.9 British pounds spent by women on clothing on a monthly basis.

The number of times the average piece of clothing is worn happens to be about 120 times globally.

The researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits in total. As an example, they've suggested six outfits for work, three outfits for home wear, three outfits for sports, two outfits for festive occasions, plus four outdoor jackets and trousers or skirts.

How many clothes does the average woman own? In a recent survey from ClosetMaid, the average American woman has 103 items in her closet.

How many clothes is enough? ›

Though the number of clothes in your closet is a personal choice, the topic has become controversial. With the increasing popularity of minimalism and capsule wardrobes, many influencers suggest that a woman should not have more than 50 pieces of clothing (including shoes and accessories) in her closet.

Things to Remember About UK Sizes

Women have to go for bigger sizes for clothing, but smaller sizes for shoes. Men can buy the same size of clothes they buy in usual US sizing. But they will have to consider smaller sizes of shoes using the UK standard.

Marks & Spencer remains the UK's biggest clothing retailer with an 8.1% share.

Clothing has always been big business for the UK. The wool trade once accounted for 80% of exports from the British Isles. Now the UK's Fashion industry is worth £26 billion & 800,000 jobs to the economy , making it the UK's largest creative industry.

The UK has an impressive reputation when it comes to manufacturing, particularly in the clothing and apparel sector. Producing over £9.1billion of output each year, the UK clothing industry is one of the world's largest.

If you are a woman go for higher size than your US size when buying clothes. If you are a US 4, in UK size, you will be a UK 8. If you are a man, go for the same size when buying clothes. For example, a size US 30-32 is the same as a UK 30-32.

Fashion accounts for a 31% share of the UK eCommerce market

Online retail sales for textiles, clothing and footwear increased to an all-time high of 31% in 2020. Source: UKFT's Compendium of Industry Statistics and Analysis 2020, published in September 2021.

Economic Value - official statistics

Judged by Gross Value Added (GVA), the design and designer fashion category, generated an estimated GVA of £3.5bn in 2019. This measure grew by 4.9 per cent year on year, and had increased by 103.9 per cent between 2010 and 2019.

UK fashion has a unique spirit and energy that ignites the imagination of the world. From its cutting-edge trailblazers to the refined craftsmanship of its star designers, the originality and professionalism found in the UK make it one of the most influential fashion hubs in the world.

What is the most bought thing in the UK? ›

ENGLAND is famous for many things - David Beckham, Fish and Chips, Big Ben, Red Buses, black cabs, Oasis, Blur, the Beatles, London and tea. England is famous for its long history. England is famous for its Royal Family.

The UK Fashion eCommerce market is predicted to reach US$56,865.0 million by 2023 and accounts for 34.1% of the total eCommerce market in the United Kingdom. It is expected to increase over the next years.

Revenue in the Fashion segment is projected to reach US$56.86bn in 2023. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 8.28%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$78.15bn by 2027.

UK factories are generally more expensive than foreign ones, but the minimum order quantity (MOQ) can be much lower. Some UK factories do not have a MOQ. A foreign factory would rarely offer low MOQs, and if they did, it would probably not be worth the bother.

In 2023-24, we expect central government departments to spend £421.7 billion on the day-to-day ('current') running costs of public services, grants and administration. This is 35 per cent of public spending. The biggest items are health (£176.2 billion), education (£81.4 billion) and defence (£32.4 billion).

Now the UK's Fashion industry is worth £26 billion & 800,000 jobs to the economy , making it the UK's largest creative industry.

UK clothing market share

The UK is the third largest apparel and footwear market worldwide The UK is the third largest apparel and footwear market worldwide, after China and the United States, with a market size of 70.7 billion dollars (approximately 67.54 billion euros or 57.92 billion pounds).

Where does the UK spend the most money? ›

The departments with the largest budgets are usually the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education, which taken together account for over half of 2022/23's planned spending.

Around 1.75m tonnes of clothing and textile waste is created in the UK each year 1.2m tonnes of it ends up in landfill. 360,000 tonnes of the textiles thrown away in the UK every year are clothes. The average item of clothing is only worn 10 times before being discarded.

Winner: UK

While shopping trends may shift in the future, as of now, UK groceries are generally cheaper compared to the USA.

The retail industry in the UK consists of over 300,000 separate businesses. It employs over 3 million people representing over 8% of all UK jobs, and provides customers with important goods and services, meeting needs and aspirations. In 2019, retail sales in the UK were worth £439 billion.

The UK's ethical fashion industry is currently worth approximately £175 million (Mintel, 2009) and is growing faster than almost any other ethical sector, at 71% per year (Coop 2008). Mintel's 2009 report also stated, 'The widening availability of ethical fashion is central to this growth.