# Wool: Overview

Suits, carpets, blankets and lanolin for cosmetics

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/overview/

What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.

#### Key uses

| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Worsted apparel: suits, trousers, fine knitwear** | n/a | n/a basis | Fine Merino wool, mostly from Australia, is combed into long parallel fibres and spun into smooth worsted yarn. It drapes well, resists wrinkles, breathes and regulates temperature, which is why tailored suits and premium knitwear still pay for it despite its price. Qualitative; no quantified source found | Polyester and polyester-wool blends Viscose and other cellulosics Cotton |
| **Woollen knitwear, outerwear and active wear** | n/a | n/a basis | Shorter fibres spun on the woollen system make bulky jumpers, coats and base layers. Wool's warmth when damp and odour resistance support a growing outdoor and sportswear niche. Qualitative; no quantified source found | Acrylic Polyester fleece Cashmere and other speciality fibres |
| **Carpets, rugs and upholstery** | n/a | n/a basis | Coarser crossbred wool from New Zealand, the UK and India's Rajasthan flocks is springy, flame-resistant and hard-wearing, which suits carpets and hand-knotted rugs. India's Bhadohi-Mirzapur rug belt is a major user. Qualitative; no quantified source found | Nylon Polypropylene Polyester carpet fibre |
| **Blankets and shawls from recycled wool (shoddy)** | n/a | n/a basis | Panipat in Haryana shreds imported used woollen garments into fibre and spins low-cost yarn for blankets, including relief blankets. It turns waste into a cheap product and cuts virgin fibre use. Qualitative; no quantified source found | Acrylic and polyester blankets |
| **Insulation, felt and industrial uses** | n/a | n/a basis | Low-grade wool makes felts, building insulation and absorbent pads, where its fire resistance and moisture handling matter more than fineness. Qualitative; no quantified source found | Mineral wool and glass wool Polyester felt |

 No published world end-use split was found. World greasy wool output was 1.70 Mt in 2024, down from 3.35 Mt in 1990 (FAOSTAT). China took 73.4% and India 7.3% of world greasy wool import value in 2024 (UN Comtrade), which shows where processing happens.

#### From field to user

1. **Sheep farming** Wool comes as a joint product with sheep meat; India had 74 million sheep in the 2019 Livestock Census (DAHD via Dataful).
2. **Shearing** Sheep are shorn once a year (twice for some breeds); the world clipped 1.70 Mt of greasy wool in 2024 (FAOSTAT).
3. **Classing, baling and testing** Fleeces are sorted by fineness and length, pressed into bales and tested for micron, yield and strength by AWTA in Australia.
4. **Sale** Most Australian wool sells at weekly AWEX auctions; 25,021 bales were offered in the first week of Sep 2026, when the Eastern Market Indicator was 1,890 Australian cents per kg clean (AWI).
5. **Scouring and combing** Greasy wool is washed to remove grease (lanolin), dirt and plant matter, then combed into tops; China does most of this, taking 73.4% of world greasy wool import value in 2024 (UN Comtrade).
6. **Spinning, weaving and knitting** Tops are spun into worsted yarn, or shorter fibre into woollen yarn, in China, Italy, India and Turkey.
7. **Garments, carpets and blankets** Brands and carpet makers sell finished goods, mainly in Europe, the US, China and Japan.

#### Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25

No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
 World production 1.70 m tonnes, 2024 Largest producer China 21.49% of world

#### Three things to know

- World greasy wool output roughly halved, from 3.35 Mt in 1990 to 1.70 Mt in 2024 (FAOSTAT).
- Radetzki & Wårell record Australia supplying more than 30% of world wool exports.
- Wool production is unconcentrated (HHI 916): no country grew more than 22% of the world clip in 2024.

#### Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days

- [Australia's wool prices fall as larger supply weighs on demand](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxPZThPZlQ0WmZOVkhXS1A3SEMtakVETVJvY05BbWxJelZWRHlwb0p6dzRLVktBOWlaTV95VkxUWjVPSzlWSWpoUVpfNFlfSmF0SUo2WVppZmM3NDFJR2dDZGRvZUwtWERZMUtuMGJNNmoxNVBJSC1RV0p4bFplQy1XWVFYNWpKNGdlYXViVXUzLWFveWtiS2FEU0hldzlnQVdnbW1Oc2F5YzBUd01VWGVzREwtaXp4bEtsVG05R0RGWlFfRW1nZEhrT3B1S0FuZw?oc=5)Fibre2Fashion · 2026-10-16
- [| North India's cotton yarn markets sluggish, prices under pressure](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi4wFBVV95cUxQY09MVFNqdmVkbUtXUHZUejRpVTlLWUlMZWVEVmE3ZTd1b0d4c2ZBVHI4X3hXS0dNdndrSXpjamJZaDlsWkdkNEptdUdiZUJNUzJpOXFGZEY0R25QSmVlMHNyOW4yQm4zVWFGWUpTb3FkcDBfT0lpbWxqdFM2MDVMVTJhbDZzbEYxMjBDVGxEazBBR3p4N3Z2eFZrNzF6U05RUUR1dW1BTVo1Uy1KZWpCbkdxV2l1UXRabDVDYlhtenZEbGVnd013TnRaTHFPTHg0ZE1MUG5ZMEdZWWJTOFRPTWhjUQ?oc=5)Fibre2Fashion · 2026-10-08
- [| Polyester & viscose yarn prices fall in India amid weak demand](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3gFBVV95cUxNTmEyR0c5eUtKLXVfd0FlOTBaRUduRkNPTmExUEV1VThHbHJWd3NuTndZOHJ3c2J6ZHdac2U1RUZhem5DZFZXcjlqblp3N2JLRE5MalNpYUFhQlM1NHJSVk5TQlNLOTVNVTk3ZmhfRm5CVmprV05ENHYwX2hSNFh5MW9hZEFKb1NjOS1VTTNaSC03blJyMEFOWC1nSnJBZWdWOTVCb0VoWHpmRW5hcnFjM25lOHNuWXhqOHppTUV5VlljQzFTd1huaEF1aXVZa0Zsa0lEMFNfX3l5UktTUkE?oc=5)Fibre2Fashion · 2026-10-21
- [Why Merino Wool is One of the Most Popular Wool Varieties](https://news.google.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?oc=5)Fibre2Fashion · 2026-09-28
- [| Cotton yarn prices hold steady in south India as buyers stay cautious](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6gFBVV95cUxPYnRVMWNnVzI4V2p5VW9nQTNSLS1xRk14bXRWbF93M21GdTBURkJOeWxJVEZSMjVHQ090bWVIX1FmNDlia0dTX0dhaXhaNGNoUGg0d1lWMWRtVkhKNWtSSUVMQ3kyY0gyS2w1RWxQZTR3MnFIS2xralhCcDl6anJ5eGpvVy1LWHZGUWQ0UExGd1VGVjNsOHRSWVFuYzB4bFQ2MTRjSFFpMm9QT3lncmhJclVvcS1MTUdqN1dVdXpZaGI2Nld2Rl8yaXNmZFJhbDFRQkkwVWhheGFGRmRfT0JSTVFsSUFERFY2UHc?oc=5)Fibre2Fashion · 2026-10-16

#### Read the tabs
[Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/extraction/)[Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/production/)[Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/stocks/)[Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/cycles/)[Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/trading/)[Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/movement/)[Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/criticality/)[Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/characteristics/)[Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/emissions/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/links/index.md)