PRODUCTION

Distribution of Footwear Production by Continent (Quantity) 2022

• 23.9 billion pairs of shoes produced in 2022

In 2022, global footwear production reached 23.9 billion pairs, bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, production increased by 7.6% compared to the previous year. However, Africa experienced double-digit growth, while Europe and Oceania saw limited growth at 3.5% and 2.7%, respectively.

Despite these varying growth rates, the geographical distribution of footwear production has remained relatively unchanged over the past decade when viewed at a continental level. Asia continues to dominate, manufacturing over 87% of the world’s shoes, the same percentage as in 2010. South America follows as the second most significant location, but its global production share decreased from 6% to 4.8%. Europe and North America have also experienced a decline in their respective shares. Africa is the only continent that has gained in importance, albeit accounting for less than 4% of global production.

CONSUMPTION

Distribution of Footwear Consumption by Continent (Quantity) 2022

• 5.9 pairs of shoes per person in North America

Footwear consumption, driven by population and income, is more evenly distributed than production. Asia, home to almost 60% of the world’s population, accounts for 53.2% of global footwear consumption, an increase from 49% as recorded in the first edition of this Yearbook in 2011. Africa’s share of consumption has also been growing and currently stands at 9%, although it is considerably smaller than its share of the world population (18%).

However, in 2022, consumption growth was highest among the wealthier regions of the world. North American and European shares of consumption (15.9% and 14.9% respectively) have increased, clearly in excess of their comparative demographics, owing to their higher average income levels. Our data reveal significant variations in per capita consumption worldwide, ranging from 1.4 pairs per person in Africa to 5.9 in North America.

EXPORTS

• 61.3% China’s share in footwear exports

Footwear exports recorded a notable increase of 9% in 2022, reaching a total of 15.2 billion pairs. The proportion of production exported also saw a rise, reaching its highest level in eight years of 62.8%. Although the majority of these exports originate from Asian countries, this percentage has slightly declined over the past decade: from 85.3% to 83.9%. Conversely, the share of exports from European countries has increased from 11.4% to 13.2%. Other continents’ contributions to world exports remain relatively small, at 1% or less. Overall, at an aggregate level, the geographic pattern of footwear exports has remained largely unchanged in recent years.

At the country level, the table of the top 10 footwear exporters remains unchanged when compared to 2022. These 10 countries collectively account for almost 90% of footwear exports. China stands out as the origin of over 60% of total exports. However, its share has declined by more than 10 percentage points over the last decade. Vietnam has emerged as the main beneficiary of this reduction, significantly increasing its own share from 2% to nearly 10%. Türkiye has also achieved a remarkable performance and now holds the 4th position among global exporters. Among European countries, Italy has dropped 4 positions and slightly reduced its share over the past 10 years, while Germany has nearly doubled its share and climbed two positions to secure 5th place.

Source: World Foot Wear