Global fiber production is set to expand with synthetic fibers steadily increasing their dominance over natural materials, according to the 2025 Materials Market Report by Textile Exchange. While wood-pulp-based cellulosic fibers have remained stable, the report registers a marginal growth in the overall share of recycled fibers, with the exception of the wool segment.

The report says, in 2024, global fiber production grew by 6.5 per cent to reach 132 million tons Synthetic fibers accounted for a massive 69 per cent of the total, up nine percentage points from 2020. Polyester alone made up 59 per cent of global output, reaching 78 million tons in 2024, and its production continues to rise. Recycled polyester also saw a modest increase, from 8.9 million tons to 9.3 million tons. Polyamide (nylon) remained the second most-produced synthetic fiber, representing 5 per cent of global output.

Cotton's share in the declined from 20 per cent in 2023 to 19 per cent in 2024, with virgin cotton production at 24.1 million tons.

Despite this decline, the report noted a positive trend: the percentage of cotton certified to sustainability standards increased to 34 per cent from 28 per cent in the previous year. Recycled cotton remained stable at just 1 per cent of global production, or 300,000 tons.

The third-largest fiber group, Cellulosics maintained a 6 per cent global market share, totaling 8.4 million tons in 2024. Recycled volumes within this category saw a slight increase.

Other plant-based fibers accounted for 6.9 million tons, with jute making up 54 per cent of the total, followed by cotton fiber at 26 per cent. Flax and hemp together represented just 0.5% of global fiber production.

Animal fibers continued to make up only 1 per cent of total global production. Wool accounted for 0.9 per cent, and the share of recycled wool grew from 6 per cent to 7 per cent, reaching 83,000 tons. Cashmere, mohair, and alpaca maintained marginal market shares.