Updated July 2, 2026
Graphic Apparel Statistics 2026
Sourced numbers on online apparel buying, print-on-demand, returns, resale, fabric preference, and textile waste. Use the anchored stats below when you need a clean citation for graphic tees, merch, and made-to-order apparel.
Citable stats
See sources$326.7Bin seasonally adjusted U.S. retail ecommerce sales in Q1 2026.
Census estimated adjusted ecommerce sales at $326.7 billion for the quarter, up 9.8% from the first quarter of 2025.
U.S. Census Bureau, May 18, 202619.3%of online sales are expected to be returned in 2025.
NRF and Happy Returns estimated that online retail would carry a higher return rate than retail overall in 2025.
National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, October 15, 202582%of consumers say free returns matter when shopping online.
Returns remain a conversion issue for ecommerce shoppers, especially in categories where fit, sizing, and feel matter.
National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, October 15, 2025$2,001was the average U.S. consumer unit's apparel and services spend in 2024.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, shown through FRED, placed 2024 apparel and services spending at $2,001 per consumer unit.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED, Updated December 19, 2025$655was average 2023 household spending on women's apparel.
BLS also reported average 2023 household spending of $406 for men's apparel, $87 for girls' apparel, and $96 for boys' apparel.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 5, 202513%was the estimated U.S. recycling rate for textiles in clothing and footwear in 2018.
EPA estimated a 14.7% recycling rate for all textiles, with clothing and footwear lower at 13%.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Updated March 19, 202650%+increase in U.S. textile waste from 2000 through 2018.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office noted that EPA textile-waste estimates have limitations, but remain the best widely used estimates available.
U.S. Government Accountability Office, December 12, 202475%of consumers prefer clothing made with cotton, cotton blends, or denim.
Cotton Incorporated's Global Lifestyle Monitor also found consumers rated cotton clothing highest for comfort, softness, quality, authenticity, and sustainability versus polyester or rayon.
Cotton Incorporated, October 7, 2025$393Bprojected global secondhand apparel market size by 2030.
ThredUp's 2026 Resale Report, conducted with GlobalData, says secondhand apparel represents roughly 10% of total apparel spend and is growing faster than overall apparel retail.
ThredUp and GlobalData, April 2, 202670%+of secondhand apparel market growth is expected to come from Gen Z and millennials.
ThredUp's 2026 report points to younger shoppers as the main growth engine for resale through 2030.
ThredUp and GlobalData, April 2, 202626%projected compound annual growth rate for the global print-on-demand market.
Printful's 2026 statistics roundup cites Precedence Research estimates that put the print-on-demand market at $12.96 billion, with a projected $102.99 billion size by 2034.
Printful and Precedence Research, January 14, 2026What the numbers say
Graphic apparel sits at the intersection of three stubborn behaviours: people still spend on clothes, online buying keeps growing, and shoppers care about fit, returns, comfort, and identity.
The useful signal for Bone Jungle is not that every shirt needs to chase a trend. It is that niche visual identity, made-to-order production, clearer fit guidance, and durable everyday blanks all line up with where ecommerce apparel is moving.
Methodology and sources
This page uses public government datasets, retail industry reports, and apparel-market research. Forecasts are labelled as forecasts, and older waste figures are kept because they remain the latest widely cited federal textile-waste estimates.
- U.S. Census BureauMay 18, 2026
- National Retail Federation and Happy ReturnsOctober 15, 2025
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FREDUpdated December 19, 2025
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFebruary 5, 2025
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyUpdated March 19, 2026
- U.S. Government Accountability OfficeDecember 12, 2024
- Cotton IncorporatedOctober 7, 2025
- ThredUp and GlobalDataApril 2, 2026
- ThredUp and GlobalDataApril 2, 2026
- Printful and Precedence ResearchJanuary 14, 2026
Cite this page
Bone Jungle. "Graphic Apparel Statistics 2026." Last updated July 2, 2026. https://bonejungle.com/graphic-apparel-statistics