World fibre demand rose by 6.6% in 2011, after growing by 10.7% in 2010, reflecting a slowdown in the global economic recovery. The rise in 2011 was due mainly to a 6.1% increase in the demand for man-made fibres. Natural fibre demand was also up but the increase was limited to 7.6% as demand for wool and silk declined. The increase in demand for man-made fibres stemmed from growth in both synthetic fibres and cellulosic fibres—although growth in cellulosics was slightly stronger than that in synthetics—and gains were evident in all the main fibre types. But with demand for man-made fibres growing more slowly than demand for natural fibres, the share of natural fibres increased for the second consecutive year, to 36.6%. The main source of the increase was an 8.0% rise in cotton consumption. Wool demand fell by 0.4% while demand for silk was down by 1.3%.
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