From Field to Fabric: Clothing Accounts for 80% of Cotton Use

Cotton’s journey does not end at harvest. Although it begins as an agricultural crop, it becomes a raw material for a wide range of industries and everyday products.

Clothing accounts for 80% of cotton use, making apparel its main destination after it leaves the field. Its fibres are processed into yarn and fabric before being turned into garments.

Home textiles account for another 15%. This category includes products such as bed linen and other household fabrics, extending cotton’s role beyond the wardrobe.

The remaining share goes to other uses. Cotton’s value also reaches beyond its fibres: its seeds can be processed for oil and animal feed.

These different applications help explain cotton’s importance as an industrial crop, linking agricultural production with manufacturing and goods used in daily life.