Cotton remains the world’s most popular fibre. Textile processors and consumers alike appreciate its versatility in a wide variety of textile and clothing products. Wearing cotton is associated with comfort, and has long been associated with “healthy living” and “naturalness” by consumers who prefer materials which are harmless to the environment.

The report highlights the key trends in the development of the world cotton economy. It examines cotton’s competitiveness compared with man-made fibre substitutes, and provides forecasts of cotton prices and data on trends in consumer purchases of household textiles and apparel in Western Europe and the USA.