The U.S. fashion and apparel industry represents over half a trillion dollars in annual consumer spending. This report compiles the latest government-sourced data on clothing and footwear expenditures, retail sales trends, and per capita spending patterns.
Key Findings at a Glance
- U.S. personal consumption expenditures on clothing, footwear, and related services reached $$554.0 billion in 2024 (BEA via FRED, DCAFRC1A027NBEA).
- Per capita spending on clothing and footwear was $$1,559 in 2024, up from $1,524 in 2023 (BEA via FRED, USPCEPCCLTH).
- Consumer spending on clothing and footwear surged 47.6% from 2020 to 2024, recovering from pandemic lows (BEA via FRED).
- Footwear spending alone hit $$116.2 billion in 2024 (BEA via FRED, DFTWRC1A027NBEA).
Total Consumer Spending on Clothing and Footwear
| Year | PCE: Clothing, Footwear & Services | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $$554.0 billion | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $$535.4 billion | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $$514.3 billion | +5.8% |
| 2021 | $$486.1 billion | +29.5% |
| 2020 | $$375.3 billion | (pandemic low) |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED, series DCAFRC1A027NBEA. Annual, not seasonally adjusted.
Footwear Spending
| Year | PCE: Footwear | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $$116.2 billion | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $$114.0 billion | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $$110.3 billion | +4.3% |
| 2021 | $$105.8 billion | +29.9% |
| 2020 | $$81.4 billion | (pandemic low) |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED, series DFTWRC1A027NBEA. Annual, not seasonally adjusted.
Per Capita Spending
| Year | Per Capita: Clothing & Footwear | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $$1,559 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $$1,524 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $$1,479 | +4.8% |
| 2021 | $$1,411 | +29.8% |
| 2020 | $$1,087 | (pandemic low) |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED, series USPCEPCCLTH. Annual, not seasonally adjusted.
Retail Sales: Clothing and Accessory Stores (2025)
Monthly retail sales at clothing and clothing accessory stores (NAICS 448) provide a higher-frequency view of the industry:
- October 2025: $26.1 billion, up 7.9% year-over-year (U.S. Census Bureau via FRED, MRTSSM448USN; Global Textile Times).
- August 2025: $28.2 billion (back-to-school peak).
- February 2025: $19.2 billion, a record high for that month (Trading Economics / FRED).
- Monthly sales at clothing stores have consistently exceeded $23 billion in 2025, indicating stable demand.
- U.S. total retail and food services sales in November 2025 reached $$735.9 billion, up 3.3% year-over-year (U.S. Census Bureau, Jan 2026).
Quarterly Trends (Through Q1 2025)
- Q1 2025 PCE on clothing and footwear (nondurable goods): $$533.7 billion annualized, seasonally adjusted (BEA via FRED, DCLORC1Q027SBEA).
- Q4 2024: $528.8 billion.
- Q3 2024: $523.4 billion.
- The steady quarterly increases reflect a market that has fully recovered from the pandemic trough.
Household Spending Benchmarks (BLS)
- Average annual apparel and services spending per household was $2,001 in 2024 (BLS Consumer Expenditures, 2024).
- In 2023, average household spending included $$655 on women's clothing, $$406 on men's clothing, $$208 on women's footwear, and $$147 on men's footwear (BLS Economics Daily, Feb 2025).
Additional Market Data
- The average American household spends about $$1,434 annually on apparel and services, roughly 2.3% of total household budget (Rawshot / BLS data).
- Online retail accounted for 20.8% of all apparel sales in 2023 (Rawshot / Census data).
- The U.S. apparel market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.3% from 2023 to 2027 (Rawshot / industry forecasts).
- 40% of consumers have cut back on clothing spending due to inflation (Rawshot survey data).
Post-Pandemic Recovery
The fashion retail sector experienced one of the sharpest drops and recoveries of any consumer spending category:
- 2020 drop: Total spending on clothing, footwear, and related services fell to $375.3 billion, a decline of roughly 22% from 2019 levels.
- 2021 rebound: Spending surged 29.5% year-over-year to $486.1 billion.
- 2024 level: At $554.0 billion, spending is now well above pre-pandemic levels in nominal terms.
- Per capita: From $1,087 in 2020 to $1,559 in 2024, a 43.4% increase over four years.
If you found this data useful, please cite as: "Fashion Retail Statistics 2026," receiptgenerators.net, February 2026.
Methodology and Sources
All data in this report comes from official U.S. government statistical agencies:
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): Personal Consumption Expenditures data, accessed via FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Series: DCAFRC1A027NBEA, DFTWRC1A027NBEA, USPCEPCCLTH, DCLORC1Q027SBEA.
- U.S. Census Bureau: Monthly Retail Trade Survey, accessed via FRED. Series: MRTSSM448USN.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): Consumer Expenditures, 2024 and Apparel data in fashion.
All figures are in nominal (current) dollars unless otherwise noted. Data retrieved January-February 2026.
Last updated: February 2026.