Eurostat the Statistical Office of the EU and EURATEX the European Clothing and Textile Federation has come up with the latest key figures (2012) for the European textile and clothing industries. Turnover of textiles at factory level dropped by 3.5 per cent or from EUR 104.8 billion to EUR 101.2 billion, and clothing decreased by 4.9 per cent or from EUR 101.9 billion to 96.9 billion. However, machinery and equipments added 1.3 per cent, or from EUR 113.9 billion to EUR 115.3 billion. 

Mill consumption of fibres (Western Europe, CEEC and Turkey) is estimated at 4766 million t (4716 million t). In the EU27 the production index for manmade fibres stood at 87.0 points, down from 94.0 points, textile at 91.7 points (97.4 points) and clothing at 88.9 points (94.5 points). The production price index in EUR for manmade fibres settled at 106.8 points (110.9 points), textiles 107.8 points (106.2 points) and clothing 103.7 per cent (102.1 points). 

Household consumption of textiles and clothing is estimated at EUR 482.7 billion (EUR 481.6 billion), manmade fibres EUR 9.6 billion (10.1 billion), textiles EUR 80.6 billion (83.7 billion) and clothing EUR 75.1 billion (EUR 77.4 billion). The grand total of all sectors amount to EUR 165.3 (EUR 171.2) billion.

The volume of investments in the manmade fibres sector amounted to EUR 0.25 billion (EUR 0.3 billion), in textiles to EUR 2.8 billion (EUR 3.0 billion) and in the clothing area EUR 1.9 billion (EUR 1.9 billion). Thus the grand total of all sectors amounted to EUR 5.0 billion (EUR 5.2 billion).

The manmade fibre sector employed in 78 (83) companies 21,000 (23,000) persons, textiles in 53,887 (55383) companies 6,74,000 (6,93,000) and clothing in 1,27,457 (1,31,399) companies 10,85,000 (11,19,000) persons. Thus the total number of companies amounted to 1,81,423 (1,86,865) and total employment to 17,80,000 (1,834,000).