See the latest Cotton & Wool Outlook report.
Global 2025/26 Cotton Production at Highest Level Since 2017/18
The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates indicate that global cotton production in the 2025/26 marketing year (August–July) is forecast to increase 950,000 bales (~1 percent) above 2024/25 to 119.4 million bales, the largest crop in 8 years. The increase results from year-to-year gains by the top three producing countries. China remains the largest cotton producer in the world, accounting for 29 percent of the global total in 2025/26.
World 2025/26 cotton mill use remains unchanged from 2024/25 at 118.9 million bales, with gains in several countries offset by losses elsewhere. Global trade in 2025/26 is projected at 43.8 million bales, with Brazil and the United States continuing as the primary exporters this season while Vietnam and Bangladesh are forecast as the leading importers. World cotton ending stocks are estimated to rise 1 percent to 74.5 million bales as global production exceeds mill use in 2025/26.