Leather production is a huge industry worldwide. So, which countries produce the most leather? Let’s look at the top 5 leather producers, based on heavy leather (for soles, straps, etc.) and light leather (for bags, coats, shoes, etc.), as well as bovine (cow and bison) hides and sheep and goat skins.
#5 India
Producing nearly 1.4 billion square feet of leather per year, India ranks 5th. While most countries on this list focus on either bovine or sheep and goat leather, India produces nearly equal amounts from all three. If we only consider light leather from sheep and goat hides, India’s annual production of 670 million square feet is second only to the top leather producer.
#4 Russia
Russia is fourth with just over 1.4 billion square feet of leather annually. However, its production has been declining since the early ’90s and may have been passed by India. Russia mainly produces light leather from bovine animals (1.3 billion square feet), with sheep and goat leather making up 8%, and heavy leather less than 3%.
#3 Italy
Italy, the top European producer, is in third place with over 1.5 billion square feet of leather each year. Most of Italy’s production is light leather from bovine animals (over 1.1 billion square feet). Sheep and goat hides make up 25% (about 401 million square feet), and heavy leather is around 3% (about 52 million square feet).
#2 Brazil
Brazil ranks second in global leather production, focusing almost exclusively on light leather from bovine hides and skins. Of the 1.7 billion square feet produced, less than 4% is sheep and goat leather (about 67 million square feet), and just over 2% (34 million square feet) is heavy leather. Even these small percentages surpass the total leather production of most countries.
#1 China
China is the largest leather producer, dominating every category: light leather from bovine animals, light leather from sheep and goat hides, and heavy leather. China’s leather industry produces nearly 4 billion square feet annually—more than double Brazil’s production. Light bovine leather accounts for over 2.3 billion square feet, sheep and goat skins for over 1.3 billion square feet, and heavy leather for about 400 million square feet.
For reference, the United States produces just under 6.7 million square feet of leather annually, ranking 8th worldwide, behind South Korea and Argentina.
