Activewear Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Activewear Market is projected to expand from USD 345.95 Billion in 2025 to USD 501.11 Billion by 2031, achieving a CAGR of 6.37%. This market segment consists of footwear and apparel specifically engineered for leisure and athletic performance, defined by technical fabrics that provide essential features such as flexibility, durability, and moisture management. The sector's growth is primarily underpinned by a structural global transition toward health and wellness lifestyles, as well as the permanent assimilation of functional clothing into professional and social settings. According to the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, the global sector is anticipated to grow at an annual rate of 6 percent from 2025 through 2029, highlighting the sustained consumer demand for versatile, performance-driven products.

However, the industry confronts substantial hurdles regarding supply chain volatility and fluctuating raw material costs. Rising logistical expenses and geopolitical instability generate operational uncertainties that jeopardize profit margins and obstruct long-term strategic planning. Consequently, manufacturers are compelled to manage the difficult trade-off between absorbing these escalating production costs and maintaining competitive pricing for value-conscious consumers, a dynamic that potentially restricts broader market capitalization.

Market Drivers

Increasing female participation in recreational activities and sports is fundamentally altering product development and market segmentation within the global activewear industry. Brands are advancing beyond simple sizing adjustments to engineer technical apparel that meets diverse training modalities and specific physiological needs, such as competitive cycling and high-impact strength training.

This demographic evolution fuels significant demand for specialized performance wear, including durable compression garments and high-support bras. As reported by Strava in their December 2024 'Year In Sport: Trend Report', weight training was the fastest-growing sport type among women globally, showing a 25% year-over-year increase in activity uploads. This surge obliges manufacturers to broaden their women-specific lines, ensuring products provide both the functional resilience needed for intensive lifting and the aesthetic appeal desired by modern consumers.

The expansion of the cross-functional fashion and athleisure trend serves as a second major catalyst, obscuring the boundaries between everyday lifestyle apparel and athletic performance gear. Consumers increasingly value versatility, seeking garments that transition seamlessly from professional environments to fitness settings, thereby enhancing the utility and value proposition of premium activewear. This demand for hybrid apparel enables brands to maintain strong financial trajectories by capturing spending across various use cases. For example, Lululemon Athletica Inc.'s 'Fiscal 2024 Annual Report' from March 2025 noted a 10% net revenue increase to $10.6 billion, demonstrating the commercial success of versatile product assortments. Similarly, Adidas AG reported in 2025 that net sales for the fiscal year 2024 rose by 11% to €23.7 billion, reflecting sustained global demand for sportswear.

Market Challenges

Fluctuating raw material costs and supply chain volatility act as formidable barriers to the expansion of the global activewear market. When manufacturers encounter unstable input prices and unpredictable logistical expenses, their ability to forecast financial outcomes and execute long-term strategies is severely compromised. This operational uncertainty forces companies to operate reactively rather than proactively, often leading to immediate capital preservation measures that stifle innovation and delay necessary market expansions. The unpredictability of these costs directly erodes profit margins, leaving businesses with fewer resources to invest in consumer engagement or product development, which inevitably slows the sector's overall momentum.

Geopolitical instability further exacerbates these disruptions, creating an environment where external pressures dictate market performance. According to the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, 84 percent of sporting goods executives expressed concern in 2024 regarding the impact of the geopolitical environment on their business. This high level of apprehension indicates that manufacturers are prioritizing risk mitigation over growth strategies. Consequently, the industry struggles to balance the absorption of these escalating costs with the need to offer competitive pricing, ultimately stalling efforts toward broader market capitalization.

Market Trends

Activewear brands are aggressively restructuring their supply chains to prioritize the widespread adoption of bio-based and sustainable material innovations, responding to intensifying regulatory pressure and consumer demand for environmental accountability. This transition involves replacing conventional virgin synthetics with advanced recycled fibers and plant-derived alternatives that reduce carbon footprints without compromising technical performance.

Major industry players are setting ambitious targets to eliminate virgin polyester, fundamentally altering raw material procurement strategies to secure long-term viability. For instance, according to Adidas AG’s 'Annual Report 2024' released in March 2025, the company achieved a 99% recycled polyester usage rate across its product lines, successfully replacing virgin polyester wherever technically feasible. This shift not only mitigates environmental impact but also aligns manufacturers with the evolving ethical standards of the modern consumer.

Simultaneously, the proliferation of circular economy initiatives and resale platforms is establishing a secondary market layer that addresses textile waste and extends product lifecycles. As durability remains a core attribute of performance apparel, high-quality activewear has become a leading category in the recommerce sector, driven by value-conscious consumers seeking premium gear at accessible price points. Brands are increasingly integrating peer-to-peer trading capabilities and take-back schemes directly into their business models to retain customer loyalty and capture value from pre-owned inventory. This shift in consumption is evidenced by eBay Inc.'s '2025 Recommerce Report' from November 2025, which found that 89% of global consumers surveyed intend to spend the same amount or more on pre-loved goods in 2025 compared to the previous year, signaling a robust trajectory for the circular activewear economy.

Key Players Profiled in the Activewear Market

• Adidas AG
• Nike, Inc.
• PUMA SE
• Columbia Sportswear Company
• VF Corporation
• PVH Corp.
• ASICS Corporation
• SKECHERS USA, Inc.
• Under Armour, Inc.
• Fila Holdings Corp.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Activewear Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Activewear Market, by Type:

• Ready to Wear
• Fashion Outer
• Pants & T-Shirts
• Rash Guard
• Wet Suit & Swim Wear
• Others

Activewear Market, by Gender:

• Men
• Women
• Kids

Activewear Market, by Distributional Channel:

• Offline
• Online

Activewear Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Activewear Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.