What percent of the world's fiber is polyester?
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59%
Polyester is 59% of the 132 million tons of fiber the world produced in 2024. Cotton is 19%. Because polyester is spun from oil, the Iran war reached the clothing rack within weeks: a Bangladeshi factory that supplies Zara saw synthetic yarn prices jump by as much as 25%. McKinsey says basic clothing could end up costing 10% to 20% more, though the full increase may take a year to arrive.
Basic clothing could cost 10% to 20% more after the Iran war. 59% of the world's fiber is polyester, plastic made from oil.
Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 2025; Bloomberg (Sep 12, 2026) · checked Sep 2026