The latest official figures on Portugal’s textile and clothing industry, from the GEE Sectoral Report (published October 2024, the most recent edition). 12,222 companies. 128,000 workers. €5.8 billion in exports.
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Circular knitting floor
Loading an industrial wash machineSource: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030, Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal, Ministry of Economy, Lisbon, October 2024.
Portugal’s textile and clothing industry (ITV) is one of the country’s oldest and most resilient industrial sectors. Concentrated in the Northern Region, particularly the Ave and Cávado subregions, it forms one of Europe’s largest integrated textile clusters. The data below comes from the official GEE Sectoral Report published by the Ministry of Economy in October 2024.
Positive trade balance, 2023
+€634M
Portugal’s textile and clothing industry records a positive trade balance of €634 million in 2023. The import coverage rate reached 112.2%, confirming Portugal’s status as a net exporter in the sector. Exports totalled €5,815M against imports of €5,181M.
Main export destinations
Spain (23.1%), France (16.3%), Germany (8.7%) and the USA (7.9%) are the largest destinations for Portuguese ITV exports.
Bars on a 0–100% scale. Source: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030, Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal.
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Key indicators from the GEE Sectoral Studies 2030 report, published by Portugal’s Ministry of Economy in October 2024. The charts cover business structure, productivity, exports, imports and the international positioning of the Portuguese ITV.
Source: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030, Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal, Ministry of Economy, Lisbon, October 2024.
In 2022, the ITV comprised 12,222 companies, mostly in the Fashion and Clothing segment (70%). Essentially composed of SMEs (99.7%): 79.9% microenterprises, 15.5% small, and 4.2% medium-sized. These companies employed 128,089 people and generated a GVA of €2.7 billion.
ITV companies are primarily located in the Northern Region, concentrated in the Ave and Cávado subregions. The ITV is one of Portugal’s oldest and most traditional industries, remaining one of the country’s largest business sectors.
Over 70% of Portuguese ITV companies are concentrated in the Fashion and Clothing segment, which is also the largest employer (57.8% in 2022). Technical and Industrial Textiles and Home Textiles follow with lower relative importance.
Both ITV segments show apparent productivity below other industries: Textiles record a GVA per worker of €28,200 and Clothing €19,600. The trend is positive year-on-year, with growth rates above the national manufacturing average.
ITV companies show a lower degree of technological intensity than the Manufacturing Industry average. Even so, they contribute more GVA than Chemicals and Wood and Cork. Technical Textiles lead technological intensity within the ITV (3.41%).
ITV companies record two-year survival rates of 66% (Textile Manufacturing) and 67% (Clothing Industry), both above the rate for all non-financial companies in Portugal (59%). A clear sign of sector resilience and market stability.
China leads global ITV exports with a 36.4% share. Vietnam holds 2nd place (5.2%), followed by Germany and Italy. Portugal ranks 27th, with a 0.7% share of world exports. At EU level, it ranks 10th with 3.0% of community exports.
Portuguese ITV exports reached €5,815M in 2023, representing 7.5% of goods exports. A 5.2% decrease was recorded versus 2022, after a 12.4% increase in 2022. International conflicts and a drop in European demand explain the correction.
Fashion and Clothing is the dominant segment in ITV exports throughout the period analysed. Fibres, Yarns and Fabrics and Home Textiles follow. In 2023, all segments contributed negatively to the evolution, reflecting global demand contraction.
In 2023, Spain (23.1%), France (16.3%), Germany (8.7%) and the USA (7.9%) were the largest markets for ITV exports. The intra-EU market accounts for 73.1% of the total.
In 2023, ITV imports were €5,181M, a 5.4% decrease versus the previous year. ITV imports represented 4.9% of total Portuguese goods imports. The Fashion and Clothing segment represented 57.9% of ITV imports.
The main source markets for ITV imports are Spain (34.7%), Italy (11.6%) and China (8.8%), representing more than half (55.1%) of the total. The strong Spanish presence reflects Iberian value chain integration in the textile and clothing sector.
All charts: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030, Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal, Ministry of Economy, Lisbon, October 2024.
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Carded woolBars drawn to scale from the approximate figures in the table below.
| Speciality | Common certifications | Typical MOQ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vale do Ave | Knitwear, jersey, cut and sew | ~3,500 | ~45,000 | 300–1,000 pcs/style | |
| Guimarães | Home textiles, technical fabrics | ~800 | ~12,000 | 500–2,000 m | |
| Braga / Cávado | Outerwear, technical garments | ~600 | ~9,000 | 200–500 pcs/style | |
| Porto / Matosinhos | Fashion, premium brands, finishing | ~400 | ~5,000 | 100–300 pcs/style | |
| Covilhã | Wool, technical textiles, yarns | ~150 | ~3,500 | 500+ kg/order | |
| Barcelos | Denim, woven, workwear | ~200 | ~3,000 | 500–1,500 pcs/style |
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Additional indicators covering trade balance, comparative advantage, investment, R&D, innovation and productivity trends in the Portuguese textile and clothing industry.
Source: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030, Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal, Ministry of Economy, Lisbon, October 2024.
The trade balance of the Portuguese ITV is positive, reaching €634M in 2023. The import coverage rate was 112.2%, confirming Portugal’s role as a net exporter in the sector. A sustained structural surplus maintained across the full period analysed.
Portugal’s ITV records a Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index of 1.9, above 1.0, indicating the sector is more competitive internationally than the country’s average export profile. This signals genuine, sustained specialisation.
Portugal ranks 27th among the world’s largest textile and clothing exporters, holding a 0.7% share of global exports. In the EU context, it holds 10th place with 3.0% of EU exports. A consistent ranking maintained over the past decade.
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Among EU27 member states, Portugal ranks 10th as a textile and clothing exporter with 3.0% of the community total. Germany and Italy lead within Europe. Portugal’s consistent EU ranking reflects decades of industrial specialisation.
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The external market accounts for 70.2% of the weight of Portuguese ITV exports, demonstrating strong export orientation. This figure reflects the depth of integration into global fashion supply chains, particularly with European brands.
Investment in the ITV is heavily concentrated in the Fibres, Yarns and Fabrics segment (75%), reflecting ongoing modernisation of upstream production. The Clothing segment receives a lower capex share despite its larger weight in companies and employment.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the ITV has shown negative variations in recent years, following broader global contraction in mature textile markets. The sector remains largely domestically funded, with family-owned businesses predominating.
R&D investment in the Portuguese ITV is distributed across research centres, universities and companies. The sector benefits from institutional links with technology centres such as CITEVE and university partnerships in the Northern Region.
Within the ITV, Technical and Industrial Textiles record the highest technological intensity (3.41%), reflecting investments in advanced materials, smart textiles and high-performance fabrics. This segment is the main driver of R&D in the sector.
Public support (grants, subsidies, tax incentives) represents 9.7% of ITV investment, above the manufacturing average. EU structural funds, particularly COMPETE and PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan), are the main sources of public funding for the sector.
The Portuguese ITV filed 22,376 trademark applications, demonstrating a growing focus on brand building and IP protection. The increasing number of registered brands reflects a structural shift towards higher-margin, design-driven production.
Labour productivity in the Portuguese ITV has followed a positive trend, with growth rates outpacing the national manufacturing average. This reflects capital investment, automation in spinning and weaving, and improved management practices.
All charts: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030, Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal, Ministry of Economy, Lisbon, October 2024.
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Region guides, production costs and how the industry works today.
Regions
Portugal’s Northern Textile Cluster: Brand GuideThe Ave and Cávado valleys: what each town makes, and how to pick the right cluster for your product.Read guide
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Pricing
How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture Clothing in Portugal?CMT rates, MOQ thresholds, and what drives the price of garment production in Portuguese factories. Data-based benchmarks for fashion brands.Read guide
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As of 2022, Portugal had 12,222 companies in the textile and clothing industry (ITV). Of these, 99.7% are SMEs: 79.9% microenterprises, 15.5% small, and 4.2% medium-sized. Total workforce: 128,089 employees. Source: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030.
In 2023, Portugal exported €5,815 million in textiles and clothing, representing 7.5% of all goods exports. Spain (23.1%), France (16.3%), Germany (8.7%) and the USA (7.9%) are the main destinations. The sector recorded a positive trade balance of €634 million. Source: GEE (2024).
The vast majority of Portugal’s textile companies are in the Northern Region, particularly the Ave and Cávado subregions. The Ave Valley (Vale do Ave) is the largest cluster, specialising in knitwear, jersey, and cut-and-sew garments. Porto and Braga also host significant manufacturing capacity.
Portugal ranks 27th globally and 10th in the EU for textile and clothing exports. China leads globally with 36.4% of world exports. Portugal holds a 0.7% global market share and a 3.0% EU market share. Source: GEE (2024), Sectoral Studies 2030.
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