Over the past five years, Bangladesh has established a strong position in the European Union (EU) market through consistent growth in readymade garment (RMG) exports.
Analysis of the latest data from the EU’s statistical agency Eurostat shows that although the EU’s RMG import market expanded by 24.56% between 2021 and 2025, Bangladesh outpaced major competing countries in terms of growth rate during this period.
The analysis shows that the EU’s garment imports from the world were €72.25 billion in 2021, which rose to €90 billion in 2025.
Although the market experienced a setback in 2023 after reaching a record high in 2022, the overall expansion over five years remained significant. Bangladesh was able to increase its share within this expanded market.
Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the EU market were €14.30 billion in 2021, which increased to €19.41 billion in 2025. That represents a growth of 35.81 percent over five years.
During the same period, China’s exports increased by 21.48% (from €21.88 billion to €26.58 billion). India recorded growth of 33.18%, while Turkey’s exports declined by 9.48%.
This means Bangladesh surpassed its main competitors in terms of growth rate. By achieving comparatively faster growth during this period of market expansion, Bangladesh has further strengthened its position in the EU market.
Recent two years
Between 2024 and 2025, total EU garment imports increased by only 2.10%. Global inflation, weak consumer confidence, and economic slowdown in Europe are considered the main reasons behind this.
Despite this limited growth, Bangladesh achieved 5.97% growth, while China’s growth was only 1.17% and Turkey’s exports declined by 10.73%.
This clearly shows that although the market has slowed, Bangladesh’s competitive position has become relatively stronger.
Although Bangladesh’s overall growth remained positive at the end of 2025, exports entered negative territory during the second half. Europe and China also showed negative trends by year-end, but Bangladesh’s decline was comparatively sharper.
During this period, significant price pressure emerged in the European market. Retailers forced suppliers to offer substantial price concessions, resulting in a notable decline in average export prices.
Despite these adverse conditions, Bangladesh was able to increase volume. As European buyers shifted toward sourcing more products at lower prices, Bangladesh leveraged its large production capacity and stable supply chain to capture that opportunity.
Although China was able to offer even greater price concessions due to its efficiency and scale advantages, Bangladesh’s overall market share increased. Vietnam and Turkey were comparatively less affected, but Bangladesh remained ahead in terms of growth momentum.
Among South and Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia showed remarkable growth of more than 88% over five years. Vietnam and Pakistan also performed well in recent years.
However, in terms of capturing large market share, Bangladesh remains the second-largest supplier and is effectively in a leadership position in terms of sustained growth. This is because Bangladesh consistently increased its share throughout the entire period of market expansion, which is a key indicator of leadership.
Strategic message
Analysts and industry stakeholders say that to maintain this leadership in the EU market, Bangladesh must focus not only on volume but also on value addition, product diversification, sustainable production, and entry into higher-value segments.
This is because the market is now under value pressure alongside volume growth. Although orders exist, prices remain low. As a result, the model of supplying more products at lower prices alone may not be sustainable in the long term.
Statistics show that Bangladesh has led the growth race in the EU market over the past five years. Higher export growth compared to competitors, strengthening market share, and maintaining volume despite price pressure—these three indicators confirm that Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has maintained consistent leadership in the European market.
However, the recent slowdown sends a clear message that this is the time for qualitative transformation. To sustain leadership, a shift in strategy at the next stage is essential.
Although Bangladesh’s long-term progress in the EU market is evident, the slower growth over the past two years signals caution. Even though the overall market has expanded, demand is not as strong as before. Therefore, instead of relying solely on volume, greater focus must be placed on product quality, design, and value addition. Bangladesh’s position in the EU market remains strong, but the recent slowdown requires a reassessment of future strategy.
