ITMF Survey Signals Modest Improvement In Global Textile Industry
The global textile industry showed signs of improvement in May 2026, although challenges related to weak demand, rising costs and geopolitical uncertainties continue to weigh on the sector, according to the 38th Global Textile Industry Survey released by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF).
The survey, conducted during the second half of May, indicated an improvement in business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilisation compared to March 2026. However, most indicators remain below long-term averages, suggesting that the recovery remains fragile.
The business situation balance improved to -17 percentage points from -25 percentage points in March, while business expectations for the next six months rose to +16 percentage points from +5 percentage points. Order intake also strengthened, improving to -9 percentage points from -25 percentage points, while average order backlogs increased to 2.5 months. Capacity utilisation rose to 74 percent.
Regionally, Africa emerged as the strongest-performing market, leading in business conditions, order intake, order backlogs and future expectations. Europe and North & Central America also reported improvements, while East Asia remained the weakest region in terms of both current business conditions and future outlook.
Across the textile value chain, downstream segments closer to end consumers performed relatively better, whereas upstream and capital goods segments continued to face challenges.
Despite the positive momentum, concerns over demand and costs persist. Weak demand remains the biggest challenge, cited by 53 percent of respondents, followed by rising raw material prices (52 percent), and energy costs and geopolitical tensions (42 percent each).
According to ITMF, escalating geopolitical conflicts and higher energy prices have added pressure on manufacturers by increasing production and logistics costs. The federation noted that the sustainability of the current recovery will largely depend on improvements in global demand, energy price stability and the easing of geopolitical tensions.
