BoKnitArt reference desk
Fiber Arts and Handmade Fashion Statistics
Six citable figures for writers, students, makers, and anyone tracking the place of handmade work in fashion and culture. Each statistic links directly to its original source.
Last updated October 6, 2026
What this page covers
A careful look at the numbers around the work.
There is no single official measure for knitting and crochet alone. This reference brings together the closest reliable measures: U.S. craft-artist employment, the wider arts economy, and global material production. It separates those scopes clearly, so each number can be quoted without stretching what its source says.
BoKnitArt makes one-of-a-kind knit and crochet wearable art. These figures add useful context to the makers, materials, and creative economy around that work, without pretending that broad industry data describes every independent artist.
Statistic 01
craft artists were employed in the United States
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines this occupation to include people creating handmade objects for sale or exhibition through techniques including weaving and needlecraft. The estimate is for May 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage StatisticsMay 2023
Statistic 02
was the median annual wage for U.S. craft artists
This is the national median for the same occupation in May 2023. It is a wage measure for employed workers, not a measure of what independent makers earn from a business.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage StatisticsMay 2023
Statistic 03
in U.S. arts and cultural economic activity
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that arts and cultural production represented 4.2% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2023. This broad measure includes creative industries and the activity that supports them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account2023 data, released April 2025
Statistic 04
of fiber were produced globally
Global fiber production rose 7% from 116 million tonnes in 2022 to 124 million tonnes in 2023. The measure covers fiber used across apparel, home textiles, footwear, and other applications.
Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 20242023 data, report published September 2024 and revised January 2025
Statistic 06
of global fiber came from recycled textiles
The estimate refers specifically to pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles in 2023. It is distinct from all recycled fibers, which represented about 7.7% of the global fiber market that year.
Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 20242023 data, report published September 2024 and revised January 2025
Methodology and sources
Built to be useful, not inflated.
Every figure above comes from a named primary government or industry source and retains that source’s reported date and scope. The page does not estimate the size of the crochet market, count independent makers from incomplete records, or combine unlike measures into a single total.
We review this page roughly monthly, or sooner when a core source publishes a newer figure. Source links were checked on October 6, 2026.
Cite this page
Link to the statistic, not just the homepage.
Suggested citation: BoKnitArt. “Fiber Arts and Handmade Fashion Statistics.” Updated October 6, 2026. https://boknitart.com/fiber-arts-statistics. For an individual figure, use its linked source and the stable section above.
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