World footwear production increased by 6.9% in 2024 to 23.9 billion pairs, according to the World Footwear Yearbook 2025, recently released by APICCAPS. The footwear industry remains heavily concentrated in Asia, where around 9 out of 10 pairs of shoes are manufactured – which represents 88% of world production.

China remains the world's largest footwear producer, with 13 billion pairs manufactured in 2024 and a global market share slightly above 54%. India increased its share to 12.5% of world production, ranking second. Vietnam comes in third, with a share of 6.5%. "These are numbers that should be evaluated with caution", considers Luís Onofre. "It is not reasonable that practically 90% of Asian production is ensured by Asian producers, when we should defend free, fair and balanced trade practices", maintains the President to APICCAPS. "The 2025 edition of the World Footwear Yearbook confirms Portugal as one of the major players in the sector, especially in the leather footwear segment. We are making our way".

EXPORTS INCREASE 4.6%

World footwear exports also increased in 2024, in this case, by 4.6% in volume compared to the previous year, signaling a gradual recovery in international trade. Asia remained the top exporter, accounting for 85.1% of total exports — up slightly from 84.5% a decade ago.

Between 2015 and 2024, global footwear exports grew modestly in volume (+1.2%), but increased by 31.4% in value, from $129.2 billion to almost $170 billion.

Asian countries have strengthened their dominant position in the global footwear trade, with the combined share rising from 84.6% in 2023 to 85.1% in 2024. By contrast, Europe's share fell slightly to 12.6%.

ASIA DOMINATES IN CONSUMPTION

In terms of consumption, in 2024, Asia accounted for more than half of world footwear consumption (55.5%), reflecting an increase compared to the previous year. North America and Europe come next, with shares of 13.6% and 13.5%, respectively.

Per capita consumption of footwear varies widely between regions — from just 1.4 pairs per person in Africa to 4.8 pairs per person in North America. China remains the world's largest consumer of footwear, increasing its share to 18.6% of the global total. India comes in second with 13.3%, and the United States maintains third place with a stable share of 9.8%.

The European Union, considered as a single region, ranks fourth, with 2,069 million pairs consumed in 2024. China remains the leading exporter, with 62.2% of world exports, although with a falling share (63.8% in 2023). Vietnam ranks second with 10.7%, followed by Indonesia with 4.1%. These three countries together account for more than three-quarters of the world's footwear exports.

In the last decade, the average export price of footwear has increased significantly — from $8.83 per pair in 2015 to a peak of $11.98 in 2023 — which represents an increase of 36%. This trend reflected rising production costs, a greater focus on higher value-added products and inflationary pressures in global supply chains. However, in 2024, that trend saw its first significant break, with the average price falling to $11.47 per pair. This decrease may indicate a change in product mix or pricing strategy, after two years of strong growth in value.

Source: apiccaps