Production country
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s garment sector is its largest export industry. The country is a globally recognised producer of high-value apparel and one of the world's best-known ethical sourcing destinations. As the sector recovers from the economic crisis and responds to changing global demand, maintaining decent work, wage adequacy, and worker voice remains critical.
Sri Lanka's garment and textile industry is the country's largest merchandise export sector, contributing over 42% of total merchandise exports. The sector specialises in higher-value products such as lingerie, activewear, swimwear, and intimate apparel, and is internationally recognised for its focus on ethical manufacturing. Women make up approximately 70% of the garment workforce, making the sector central to female employment and gender-related labour issues. Sri Lanka has an established labour law framework governing wages, working conditions, and dispute resolution, although implementation and worker representation challenges remain. Following the 2022 economic crisis, the sector has continued to face pressures related to global demand fluctuations, cost competitiveness, wage adequacy, and income security. Promoting social dialogue and including workers voices' in the navigation of these challenges remains critical.
$12.08B USD of textile products exports surpassed in 2025
Over 300,000 estimated garment workers
17
Factories Fair Wear members source from
6
Fair Wear member brands sourcing from the country
What Fair Wear is doing
How we work locally with partners to address risks and improve working conditions.
Due diligence requires companies to know what is happening in their supply chain. In Sri Lanka, Fair Wear collaborates with local stakeholders to offer custom HREDD facilitation support to companies, such as verification activities.
Staying ahead of risks means knowing about them before they escalate. Fair Wear's grievance mechanism is available in English in Sri Lanka, ensuring workers can raise concerns. The mechanism provides an accessible, confidential channel, with findings feeding into Fair Wear's work with brands and suppliers to address root causes.