World footwear production in 2023 reached 22.4 billion pairs, representing a 6 percent decline from the previous year. The figure was unveiled in The World Footwear Report 2024, recently published by the Portuguese footwear, components, leather goods manufacturers association (APICCAPS). The report, which analyses the key trends within the worldwide footwear industry, has reached its 14th edition. The publication is divided into two parts, featuring a first section with the analysis of the global footwear industry in 2023, and a second section with details of 84 different markets.
By continent, Asia accounted for 87.1 percent of the global output in 2023, although footwear production in the continent fell 7 percent. Asia was followed at great distance by South America, which accounted for 5.2 percent of the global output, then Africa (3.4 percent), Europe (2.8 percent), North America (1.5 percent), and a nonrelevant share for Oceania (0 percent). Footwear production also fell in Africa (-14 percent) and Europe (-5 percent). China emerged once again as the world’s leading footwear producer, with a global market share of nearly 55 percent. India’s global market rose to 11.6 percent.
Asia also dominated consumption-wise, accounting for 54.7 percent of global consumption, namely a 53.2 percent jump from 2022. Europe and North America followed with 13.9 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively, then Africa with a promising 10.3 percent share. The report, however, found large disparities in per capita consumption worldwide, ranging from 1.5 pairs per person in Africa to 4.6 in North America.
Global footwear exports amounted to 14 billion pairs in 2023, representing a 9.1 percent year-on-year decline. The Asian countries consolidated their dominance, with their collective share rising from 83.9 percent in 2022 to 84.6 percent. Europe’s share in global footwear trade contracted slightly to 12.8 percent. With nearly 9 million pairs shipped last year and a staggering 63.8 percent market share, China largely dominates global footwear exports. Vietnam is a distant 2nd at 9.5 percent, followed by Indonesia (3.2 percent), Germany (2.5 percent), Turkey (2.1 percent), India (1.8 percent), Belgium (1.6 percent), Italy (1.4 percent), Cambodia (1.2 percent), and Spain securing the 10th position (1.1 percent). China, Vietnam and Indonesia collectively account for over three-quarters of worldwide footwear exports. Germany is the leading European footwear exporter.
