LONDON/DEVON, England — July 7, 2025 — Globally, denim has never been more popular with 48% of consumers wearing jeans more regularly than ever, according to the latest Cotton Incorporated’s 2024 Global Denim Survey*. Confirming denim’s dominance as a wardrobe essential, the survey of over 10,000 global consumers, found the vast majority of respondents (85%), said they love or enjoy wearing denim
The majority of survey respondents said they were wearing denim jeans largely because of comfort (58%), with only 10% stating they were wearing denim jeans less frequently. On average global consumers own 10 pairs of denim jeans and 62% said they prefer their jeans to be made of cotton.
“Thanks to our comprehensive international consumer survey data, we can confirm that global consumers are increasingly choosing to wear denim jeans,” said Andrea Samber, Director of Brand Partnerships for Cotton Incorporated. “Data demonstrates the majority of consumers love their cotton denim jeans for comfort, quality and durability. Cotton is a wonderful natural fibre with strong attributes, clearly resonating with global consumers, and deserving of the extension of its life through recycling efforts like the Cotton Lives On™ programme.”
Fit remains the main driver behind purchases of denim jeans, according to 87% of respondents. Comfort (85%) comes in second, while quality (82%) ranks third.
Denim remains a bricks & mortar store purchase as opposed to online with 45% saying they prefer physical stores when buying jeans. Supporting the choice to purchase from physical stores, over half of respondents (52%) opt to try jeans before they buy; 51% prefer the ability to find right sizes and fits in-store; and 42% like to touch and feel before purchase.
The survey confirms the growing popularity of denim jeans in key global fashion markets including UK, USA, China, Italy, India, Japan, France, Germany and many more.
To date, the Cotton Lives On™ programme has collected approximately almost 8,000kg of cotton in the UK and gifted over 100 roll mats to people at risk of homelessness. Each new roll mat contains the equivalent to 45 cotton T-shirts. People around the UK at risk of homelessness and living in difficult conditions are given the roll mats as part of their first essential products package when moving to a hostel, or as part of their new home kit once they have been found a more permanent place of residence.
The Cotton Lives On™ recycling programme’s purpose is simple. Its aim is to reduce landfill waste and extend the life of old cotton in a way that helps both people and our planet.
*Cotton Incorporated’s 2024 Global Denim Survey, a survey of n=10,183 consumers in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, UK, and USA. Global sample size: n=10,183. AMERICA’S COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS. Service Marks/Trademarks of Cotton Incorporated. ©2025 Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Lives On™ Recycling Programme
Inspired by a similar and successful programme in the U.S., the Cotton Lives On™ recycling programme was created in 2022, jointly by Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated as a call-to-action to recycle old cotton and give it new life by transforming it into something new.
The programme strives to inspire sustainable living by educating consumers on cotton’s natural life-cycle and divert unwanted old cottons from the landfill. As a result of this, the programme can help to close the loop on cotton sustainability while emphasising the benefits and environmental stewardship of U.S. cotton. Cotton Lives On™ is a trademark of Cotton Incorporated. www.cottonliveson.org
Posted: July 7, 2025
Source: The Cotton Lives On recycling program — created jointly by Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated