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Industry

Garment / Textile

The garment and textile industry employs approximately 75 million people worldwide—that’s 1% of the world’s total population, with women forming 75% of the global workforce.

In countries like Bangladesh, India, and China, the industry has served as a stepping stone to development. For example, as a result of the booming garment industry in Bangladesh, that country's economy has grown at a rate of 5-6% each year since 1996, and this growth has been accompanied by significant poverty reduction and sustained progress on many human development indicators. However, these advances have come at a price. Workers in the garment and textile industry often work 10-16 hour days, six days a week, for poverty-level wages. In fact, it’s been reported that garment workers receive only 0.6% of the cost of a standard t-shirt.

The Global Living Wage Coalition members, and in particular, Fairtrade International, GoodWeave International, and Social Accountability International, are working closely with stakeholders in the textile and garment industry to better understand the drivers of low wages and identify pathways for wage improvements for garment workers.

Related Benchmarks

Living Wage for Rural Areas and Small Towns in Yucatan, Mexico

Yucatán
Living Wage: $12,575
Mexican Pesos per Month
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Living Wage for Rural Madhya Pradesh, India

Ratlam District
Living Wage: ₹14,948
Indian Rupees per Month
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Living Wage for Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Rural India
Living Wage: ₹14,350
Indian Rupees per Month
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Living Wage for Satellite Cities and Districts Surrounding Dhaka, Bangladesh

Urban Bangladesh
Living Wage: ৳23,100
Bangladeshi Taka per Month
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Living Wage for Baja California, Mexico

Municipality of San Quintín
Living Wage: $18,444
Mexican Pesos per Month
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Living Wage for Baja California, México

Municipality of Ensenada
Living Wage: $19,577
Mexican Pesos per Month
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Living Wage for Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India

Urban India
Living Wage: ₹19,323
Indian Rupees per Month
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Living Wage for Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Urban Bangladesh
Living Wage: ৳27,900
Bangladeshi Taka per Month
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Partners

Work in Garment / Textile wouldn't be possible without the support of our partners:

Related Resources

  • Case Study

    Garment Industry in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India

    Country: India
    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • External Resource

    In Work but Trapped in Poverty

    Country: Vietnam, Kenya, Malawi
    Industry: Floriculture, Garment / Textile, Tea, Manufacturing
  • External Resource

    Bangladesh Wage Ladders

    Country: Bangladesh
    Industry: Garment / Textile, Manufacturing
  • Webinar Recording

    Living Wage Benchmark Webinar: Bhadohi, India

    Country: India
    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • Webinar Recording

    Bangladesh Living Wage Webinar: Dhaka and Surrounding Districts

    Country: Bangladesh
    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • Webinar Recording

    Vietnam Living Wage Webinar: Rural Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City

    Country: Vietnam
    Industry: Garment / Textile, Seafood processing
  • External Resource

    Committee on International Corporate Responsibility - Living Wage

    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • External Resource

    Toward Fair Compensation in Bangladesh

    Country: Bangladesh
    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • External Resource

    Paying a Living Wage: A Guide for Companies

    Country: Vietnam, India, Bangladesh
    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • External Resource

    Living Wages: An Explorer's Notebook Piloting Living Wages in Garment Factories

    Country: India, Bangladesh
    Industry: Garment / Textile
  • Related Research

    What She Makes: Power and Poverty in the Fashion Industry

    Country: Sri Lanka, Guatemala, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Mexico
    Industry: Garment / Textile
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The Global Living Wage Coalition delivers knowledge and information to drive effective action toward a decent standard of living for working people and their families worldwide.



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