Clothes Built to Last? Where People Care About Durability – Pakistan & Gulf Economist

by Valentine Fourreau,

The fashion industry has a significant environmental impact due to its high consumption of water, land and raw material. According to European Parliament data, in 2022 the average textile consumption per person in the EU required 323 m² of land, 12 m³ of water and 523 kg of raw materials. In September, the European Parliament passed a law aimed at reducing textile waste in the EU. While this new directive applies to all textile producers, it specifically targets fast fashion companies like Shein or Temu, whose rapid turnover of collections and low prices come at the expense of quality and are frequently criticized for encouraging overconsumption, significantly contributing to the growing volume of textile waste.

However, as our infographic shows, durability is an important criteria for many people when purchasing apparel. As data from a survey conducted by Statista between October 2024 and September 2025 shows, the proportion of respondents citing durability as one of the most important factors when choosing their clothing varies strongly from country to country, ranging from 34 percent in Japan to 68 percent in Brazil. Among those most concerned about durability are Canadians (56 percent), Indians (55 percent) and Australians (54 percent), while less than half of those surveyed consider sustainability to be a major factor in France (45 percent) and China (42 percent).

You will find more infographics at Statista