Bangladesh footwear exports soar with over 34% growth in FY2024–25
- Desk Report
Bangladesh is gradually gaining a significant position in the global footwear market. The growth in exports in both leather and non-leather footwear is showing signs of hope for the country's economy.
According to data from the Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh (EPB) and the Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (LFMEAB), leather footwear exports increased by 25.24 percent in the four months from January to April 2025, with a financial value of $496.17 million.

During the same period, exports of synthetic and sports footwear increased by 34.15 percent, about $414.68 million.
According to the latest data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh earned about $626.5 million from shoe exports in the first six months of the 2024-25 fiscal year (July-December), which is 34.30 percent more than the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Of this, leather shoes earned $352.65 million in the six months (growth of 30.80 percent). On the other hand, non-leather shoes earned $273.9 million, which is 39.10 percent more than last year. The previous year, this income was $196.9 million.
According to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh exported footwear worth about US$960 million in the fiscal year 2023-24, which showed a significant upward trend compared to the previous year. Of this, the export revenue non-leather footwear was $416.8 million, which accounts for a large portion of the total exports.
According to previous records, the export revenue from footwear was $569.9 million in the fiscal year 2020-21, which increased to $756.2 million in the fiscal year 2021-22 - the highest for this sector. Despite a slight decline in the subsequent period, it is on the path to growth again this year.
The global shoe market is worth about $400 billion. China controls more than half of this. But many importers around the world are looking for alternative suppliers.
Bangladesh already exports shoes to more than 50 countries, including India, Dubai, the UK, Germany, Italy and European countries. Experts say that if investment in quality control, product diversification, skilled labor and raw material production is increased, the shoe sector could become Bangladesh's next export leader.
Huge demand in the domestic market
Bangladesh is not only an exporting country, but also a large consumer market. According to World Footwear, the country had a demand for 350 million pairs of shoes in 2023. Bangladesh is ninth among the world's major consumer countries. China (3.53 billion pairs) and India (2.56 billion pairs) are at the top.
There are no accurate statistics on the shoe market in the country. However, various surveys estimate that the annual market for local shoes is at least Tk 24,000 crore. Of this, 30 to 40 percent comes from branded shoes. The rest is non-branded, regional and imported shoes.
According to traders, the sales of branded shoes in the country are increasing at an average rate of 12 to 15 percent every year. Around 25-30 percent of the sales of the entire year are during Eid-ul-Fitr. As a result, companies are marketing new designs, fashion and technology-based shoes ahead of Eid.