Knitted Fabric Market Trends and Forecast
The future of the global knitted fabric market looks promising with opportunities in the technical, household, and fashion & clothing markets. The global knitted fabric market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 6.1% from 2025 to 2031. The major drivers for this market are the rising demand for comfortable apparel, the growing popularity of sustainable fabrics, and the increase in sportswear production.
• Lucintel forecasts that, within the product category, weft-knit is expected to witness higher growth over the forecast period.
• Within the application category, fashion & clothing is expected to witness the highest growth.
• In terms of region, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period.
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Emerging Trends in the Knitted Fabric Market
The knitted fabric industry is presently experiencing an extraordinary shift, driven by changing tastes of consumers, fast-paced technological growth, and a growing worldwide focus on sustainability. These new trends not only impact the nature of knitted fabrics being manufactured but also transform manufacturing processes as well as supply chain mechanics. Keeping up with these changes is imperative for industry stakeholders to remain relevant and address the diverse needs of a dynamic world market.
• Expansion of Sustainable and Eco-Conscious Knitted Textiles: This trend is a response to growing consumer and brand demand for clothing made from textiles with minimal environmental impact. It incorporates the production of organic, recycled, and biodegradable fibers, water-saving dyeing processes, and lower waste in manufacturing. The effect is a change towards more environmentally friendly production practices, stimulating innovation in eco-friendly materials and processes, and promoting brand reputation for brands that value environmental responsibility.
• Wearable Technology and Smart Textiles Integration: This trend is characterized by integrating electronic devices such as sensors, conductive yarns, and flexible circuits directly within knitted material. The effect is the development of "smart fabrics" that can track health parameters, control temperature, or even communicate with digital devices. This creates enormous possibilities within medical textiles, athletic wear, and fashion, providing new functionality and giving rise to new product categories merging clothing with technology.
• 3D Knitting and Seamless Technology Advances: This trend centers on the utilization of high-tech knitting machines that enable the production of three-dimensional, frequently seamless, apparel and items directly from yarn. The effect is heavy waste reduction (zero-waste production), increased comfort with no seams, and greater design freedom. Rapid prototyping and customization are also made possible with this technology, simplifying the production process and allowing quicker response to fashion trends and consumer needs.
• Technical Textiles and Functional Knits: This trend points to increased use of knitted materials outside of conventional apparel into industrial, medical, automotive, and protective end-uses. The consequence is a diversification of the market into high-performance segments with specific needs such as fire resistance, moisture management, compression, or protection from UV. This diversification forces research into bespoke yarns and knitting constructions, creating value and technological complexity for the market.
• Automation and Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Manufacturing: This trend implies the use of automated knitting machines, robots, and artificial intelligence-based systems in the manufacturing process. The result is improved productivity, better precision, better quality control, and lower labor costs. AI can improve design operations, forecast the properties of the fabric, and identify defects, which translates into more efficient use of operations, quicker turnaround, and higher consistency in the production of knitted fabrics.
These new trends are having a far-reaching impact on the knitted fabric market by making it more sustainable, technologically driven, and diversified. The focus on intelligent functionality, green manufacturing, and streamlined manufacturing processes is driving the innovation in what knitted fabrics can do and how they can be used, paving the way for their sustainability and expansion into a broad range of applications.
Recent Development in the Knitted Fabric Market
Recent advances in the knitted fabric industry are radically reshaping the sector, prompted by changing consumer attitudes, technological innovations, and an increasing focus on sustainability. These advances are an attempt by industry players to improve fabric performance, simplify production processes, and respond to the needs of a transforming global textile ecosystem. These advances are not mere incremental innovations but evidence of sweeping changes in the way knitted fabrics are conceived, manufactured, and utilized.
• Emphasis on Recycled and Sustainable Fibers: One of the major developments is the growing use of recycled polyester, organic cotton, and other sustainable fibers in knitted fabric manufacturing. This influences the market by addressing the escalating consumer and brand desire for green textiles, lowering environmental impact, and enhancing the industry’s green credentials. This also stimulates innovation in yarn development and processing methods to ensure fabric quality and performance while being environmentally friendly.
• Enhancement of 3D Knitting Capability: The major breakthrough is the extensive deployment of 3D knitting technology, making it possible to produce seamless garments and intricate three-dimensional structures from yarn directly. It influences the marketplace by facilitating zero-waste manufacturing, improved garment comfort, and increased design freedom. It transforms the apparel manufacturing process by removing conventional cut-and-sew operations, minimizing labor, and accelerating product development cycles.
• High-Performance and Functional Knits Development: The latest innovations involve engineering knitted products with improved functional performance, including moisture-wicking, antimicrobial, UV-blocking, and thermal management. This influences the market by addressing the rapidly growing athleisure, sportswear, and technical textile markets with fabrics that provide higher comfort, endurance, and performance. This stimulates demand for advanced yarns and novel knitting constructions to create such properties.
• Digital Printing Technology Integration: Another significant advancement is the growing integration of digital printing technologies onto knitted fabrics. This affects the market by enabling detailed patterns, rich colors, and on-demand personalization, minimizing lead time and waste compared to conventional dyeing and printing processes. Digital printing provides more flexibility for small-scale production and rapid response to fashion, improving market responsiveness and creativity.
• Automation and Robots in Knitting Mills: More recently, advancements also encompass the increased use of automation and robots in knitting mills, ranging from automated yarn feed systems to robotically handled fabric rolls. This has an impact on the market by enhancing production efficiency, less dependency on manual labor, enhancing consistency, and decreasing overall manufacturing expenses. Automation also improves workplace safety and enables more accurate control of the knitting process, resulting in better quality outputs.
These advancements are collectively influencing the knitted fabric industry by propelling it toward a future that is marked by sustainability, technological advancement, and high-performance products. The sector is increasingly agile and responsive in that it is able to provide innovative fabrics that respond to assorted requirements while mitigating environmental issues, eventually offering added value and versatility for knitted materials in assorted applications.
Strategic Growth Opportunities in the Knitted Fabric Market
Strategic growth prospects in the knitted fabric market are led mainly by changing lifestyles of consumers, technological innovation, and the broadening use of knitted textiles beyond conventional apparel. Finding and leveraging unique market segments and product innovations where knitted fabric has distinct competitive value will be key to sustained growth and leadership in the market.
• Athleisure and Activewear: The rapidly growing athleisure and activewear markets offer a huge strategic growth opportunity. Knits, by their very nature of stretch, breathability, and comfort, are best suited for these uses. The challenge is to create performance knits with advanced moisture-wicking, compression, and odor-controlling features meeting the growing need for functional and versatile attire that easily evolves from workout to everyday wear.
• Industrial and Medical Technical Textiles: The increasing demand for dedicated technical textiles in industrial and medical uses presents exciting growth opportunities. Knitted materials can be designed for certain functionalities like filtration, protective wear, wound dressings, and orthopedic aids. The opportunity is to invest in research and development to develop high-performance technical knits that satisfy demanding industry requirements for durability, safety, and certain technical characteristics, supporting essential needs in these industries.
• Home Textiles and Upholstery: The home textiles industry, comprising bedding, upholstery, and decorative fabrics, offers a consistent growth potential. Knitted fabrics can provide softness, comfort, and elasticity for products such as sheets, blankets, and furniture covers. The opportunity is to create durable, easy-care, and visually pleasing knitted fabrics that offer greater comfort and design flexibility for home and commercial interiors, meeting changing home decorating trends.
• Automotive Interiors: The automotive industry is an expanding use area for knitted fabrics in seat covers, headliners, and door panels. Knitted fabrics provide flexibility, comfort, and sound absorption characteristics essential in vehicle interiors. The opportunity is to create light, robust, and good-looking knitted fabrics for the car industry that comply with automotive safety norms and add to passenger comfort and vehicle styling, with emphasis on electric vehicle and smart cabin trends.
• Smart Textiles and Wearable Technology: The new technology of smart textiles represents an exciting, high-growth, high-value opportunity for knitted fabrics. By incorporating conductive yarns, sensors, and microelectronics, knitted fabrics can be transformed into "smart" clothing for health monitoring, performance measurement, or interactive display. The opportunity lies in partnering with technology firms to design functional knitted fabrics that open up new opportunities for healthcare, sports, and consumer electronics markets, leveraging the exploding wearable tech market.
These strategic growth prospects are deeply influencing the knitted fabric market by fueling specialization, innovation, and diversification into higher-value application segments. The market is transforming away from mass-produced clothing, with emphasis on performance, functionality, and technology integration, keeping knitted fabrics at the leading edge of textile innovation and catering to the sophisticated requirements of contemporary industries.
Knitted Fabric Market Driver and Challenges
The knitted fabric market is shaped by a dynamic balance of key drivers and unique challenges, drawn from global consumer behavior, manufacturing technology innovations, supply chain complexities, and mounting environmental pressures. Together, these drivers form the industry’s growth direction, profitability, and competitive dynamics. It is essential for market actors to have a holistic picture of these diverse impacts to plan and lead sustainability correctly.
The factors responsible for driving the knitted fabric market include:
1. Growing Need for Comfortable and Flexible Clothing: A key driver is the growing global consumer demand for clothing that values comfort, stretch, and freedom of movement, directly benefiting knitted fabrics. The widespread trend of athleisure wear and casual fashion has substantially increased the demand for agile knitted fabrics, which have become a wardrobe mainstay among all demographics.
2. Technological Breakthroughs in Knitting Machines: Ongoing breakthroughs in knitting machine technology, such as high-speed circular knitting machines, computerized flat knitting machines, and 3D knitting technology, are major drivers. These technologies improve the efficiency of production, allow for the production of intricate designs, minimize waste, and provide better fabric quality, which enables producers to service varied market needs more efficiently.
3. Expansion of the Athleisure and Sportswear Industry: The worldwide emergence of athleisure and activewear, fueled by well-being and fitness trends, is a key driver for the knitted fabric industry. Knitted fabrics provide critical attributes like moisture-wicking, breathability, and stretch, and are thus a key component in performance clothing and strongly increasing its usage beyond conventional apparel.
4. Technical Textile Diversification: The increasing application of knitted fabrics outside the apparel industry, such as automotive interiors, medical textiles, geotextiles, and protective clothing, is a significant stimulus. Knitted fabric structures can be designed to possess a range of specific functional characteristics, including fire resistance, sound absorption, or compression, creating new, high-value market segments and highlighting the flexibility of knitting technology.
5. Emphasis on Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Practices: Pressure from consumer awareness and regulation is compelling the knitted fabric industry to adopt sustainable materials and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Producing knitted fabrics from recycled fiber, organic, and via water-saving manufacturing forms a competitive strength while addressing the growing demand for sustainable products.
Challenges in the knitted fabric market are:
1. Price Volatility of Raw Materials: One major challenge is price volatility of important raw materials such as cotton, polyester, and other man-made fibers. Price volatility has a direct effect on the cost of production of knitted fabrics and influences manufacturers’ profit margins and pricing policies, thus complicating long-term planning and cost control.
2. Fierce Competition and Price Pressure: The market for knitted fabrics is extremely competitive, with many global and regional competitors. Such fierce competition, particularly from low-cost manufacturing centers, tends to be accompanied by price wars and pressure on profit margins. Manufacturers constantly get pressured to innovate and improve processes of production while keeping prices competitive in order to keep market share.
3. Stringent Environmental Regulations and Compliance: Increasingly stringent environmental regulations related to water usage, chemical discharge, and waste management pose a significant challenge. Compliance requires substantial investment in eco-friendly technologies, wastewater treatment, and sustainable practices, which can increase operational costs and present hurdles, particularly for smaller manufacturers lacking resources.
The combined effect of these drivers and challenges on the knitted fabric market is a dynamic force towards sustainability and innovation, fueled by consumer demand for performance and comfort, but moderated by cost constraints and regulatory complexity. Success in this market depends on manufacturers’ capacity to spend on sophisticated technology, adopt sustainable practices, and diversify product lines strategically to meet a highly competitive and environmentally aware global textiles marketplace.
List of Knitted Fabric Companies
Companies in the market compete on the basis of product quality offered. Major players in this market focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, R&D investments, infrastructural development, and leverage integration opportunities across the value chain. With these strategies knitted fabric companies cater increasing demand, ensure competitive effectiveness, develop innovative products & technologies, reduce production costs, and expand their customer base. Some of the knitted fabric companies profiled in this report include-
• Baltex
• Jong Stit
• Georg and Otto Friedrich
• Zhejiang Chaoda Warp Knitting
Knitted Fabric Market by Segment
The study includes a forecast for the global knitted fabric market by product, application, and region.
Knitted Fabric Market by Product [Value from 2019 to 2031]:
• Weft-knit
• Warp-knit
Knitted Fabric Market by Application [Value from 2019 to 2031]:
• Technical
• Household
• Fashion & Clothing
Knitted Fabric Market by Region [Value from 2019 to 2031]:
• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• The Rest of the World
Country Wise Outlook for the Knitted Fabric Market
The world knitted fabric market is witnessing a phase of dynamic change, fueled by a growing consumer need for comfort, flexibility, and eco-friendly textile solutions. Advances in knitting technology combined with the growth in demand from various sectors like apparel, athleisure, home textiles, and technical textiles are greatly impacting market trends. Manufacturers are also aiming to create sophisticated materials and embracing automation processes in production to address the changing needs of a globalized and eco-conscious consumer market.
• United States: The United States knitted fabric industry is influenced by robust consumer demand for athleisure wear, casual everyday wear, and high-performance technical apparel. Some of the recent trends include greater investment in 3D knitting and automation technologies to improve domestic efficiency of production and allow customized orders. There is also a greater focus on sustainable and recycled fibers used in knitted fabric production, appealing to green consumers and brands.
• China: China, a leading player in the world textile industry, is increasing its knitted fabric market with considerable production capacity and technological innovations. Recent growth has involved quick adoption of modern knitting machines, such as computerized flat knitting and circular knitting machines, to knit a variety of fabrics cost-effectively. The market is also experiencing a drift towards functional, higher-value knitted fabrics for sports and technical uses to meet both domestic and export markets.
• Germany: The German knitted textile market is dominated by a high emphasis on technically sophisticated, high-quality textiles and eco-friendly production. Developments encompass research and development of innovative knitting technologies for automotive interiors, medical textiles, and protective clothing, with a focus on durability and special functionalities. German producers also invest in environmentally responsible production processes and materials, reflecting strict European environmental regulations and customer demand for sustainability.
• India: The market for knitted textiles is growing strongly, driven by its huge domestic textile business as well as improved export prospects. Key recent trends have seen major investments in up-to-date knitting technology to enhance productivity and quality of products, with a view to competing with global companies. There has also been an expanding emphasis on environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of organic cotton and recyclable fibers, in order to respond to global demand for eco-friendly textiles, mainly in garments and home textiles applications.
• Japan: The Japanese textile market for knitted fabric focuses on technological accuracy, functionality, and good looks. Recent trends involve ongoing innovation in high-technology knitting methods to create highly specialized fabrics for sporting apparel, automotive parts, and medical use, with a focus on distinctive texture and performance attributes. Japanese makers are also investigating smart textiles and adding advanced materials to develop intelligent fabrics featuring embedded functionalities to address high-end and specialist markets.
Features of the Global Knitted Fabric Market
Market Size Estimates: Knitted fabric market size estimation in terms of value ($B).
Trend and Forecast Analysis: Market trends (2019 to 2024) and forecast (2025 to 2031) by various segments and regions.
Segmentation Analysis: Knitted fabric market size by product, application, and region in terms of value ($B).
Regional Analysis: Knitted fabric market breakdown by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.
Growth Opportunities: Analysis of growth opportunities in different products, applications, and regions for the knitted fabric market.
Strategic Analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape of the knitted fabric market.
Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter’s Five Forces model.
FAQ
Q1. What is the growth forecast for knitted fabric market?
Answer: The global knitted fabric market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 6.1% from 2025 to 2031.
Q2. What are the major drivers influencing the growth of the knitted fabric market?
Answer: The major drivers for this market are the rising demand for comfortable apparel, the growing popularity of sustainable fabrics, and the increase in sportswear production.
Q3. What are the major segments for knitted fabric market?
Answer: The future of the knitted fabric market looks promising with opportunities in the technical, household, and fashion & clothing markets.
Q4. Who are the key knitted fabric market companies?
Answer: Some of the key knitted fabric companies are as follows:
• Baltex
• Jong Stit
• Georg and Otto Friedrich
• Zhejiang Chaoda Warp Knitting
Q5. Which knitted fabric market segment will be the largest in future?
Answer: Lucintel forecasts that, within the product category, weft-knit is expected to witness higher growth over the forecast period.
Q6. In knitted fabric market, which region is expected to be the largest in next 5 years?
Answer: In terms of region, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period.
Q7. Do we receive customization in this report?
Answer: Yes, Lucintel provides 10% customization without any additional cost.
This report answers following 11 key questions:
Q.1. What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for the knitted fabric market by product (weft-knit and warp-knit), application (technical, household, and fashion & clothing), and region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World)?
Q.2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q.3. Which region will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q.4. What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the key challenges and business risks in this market?
Q.5. What are the business risks and competitive threats in this market?
Q.6. What are the emerging trends in this market and the reasons behind them?
Q.7. What are some of the changing demands of customers in the market?
Q.8. What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments?
Q.9. Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are key players pursuing for business growth?
Q.10. What are some of the competing products in this market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by material or product substitution?
Q.11. What M&A activity has occurred in the last 5 years and what has its impact been on the industry?
For any questions related to Knitted Fabric Market, Knitted Fabric Market Size, Knitted Fabric Market Growth, Knitted Fabric Market Analysis, Knitted Fabric Market Report, Knitted Fabric Market Share, Knitted Fabric Market Trends, Knitted Fabric Market Forecast, Knitted Fabric Companies, write Lucintel analyst at email: helpdesk@lucintel.com. We will be glad to get back to you soon.