
If you own a wig or are planning to, you’re probably wondering where it originally comes from—with the same question on my mind, I decided to do some research. Here’s what I found.
The majority of human hair wigs come from China and India, with China being one of the largest suppliers of wigs in the world. China imports what is known as “fallen hair” or non-Remy hair from India, where it is collected from salon floors and hairbrushes and processed to become wigs. These wigs are usually sold for hundreds of dollars.
Interesting, right? Keep reading to find out more about where your wig or extension comes from, you’ll be surprised at what you find!
Is China the Only Supplier For the Worlds’ Wig Demand?
China is not the only source of wig production, in fact, the world’s main sources of hair wigs are located in China and India, with the majority of the hair being harvested from donors who donate their hair as a religious offering. While China may certainly be one of the largest producers of hair, they are certainly not alone.
What creates a lot of relief is that both the Chinese and Indian economies are much stronger than what they were around 10 years ago, enabling them to reduce the need for human hair and allow for the high-quality production of synthetic hair which looks and feels real.

The increase in the economy also improved the wealth and standard of living of the citizens within these countries, reducing the amount of inhumane hair donor methods they experienced before, which often resulted in pain, theft and even gang violence due to hair’s high worth and revenue it would bring if sold. It is so good to know that along with the growing industry, morals and ethics have also developed incredibly well.
With fifteen countries worldwide producing wigs, it not only indicates the high demand for this product, but it also indicates the range of styles, quality, hair types these wigs are made in, as well as the variety of purposes they are made to serve.
Now that we have distinguished that China is indeed not the only supplier of wigs, let’s look further into the other countries they come from, their history, the reason for their demand, as well as the range of uses that have developed over the years.
Who Are the Leading Exporters and Producers of Wigs Worldwide?

As mentioned above, there are 15 countries that serve as the world’s leading wig producers. Below you can find a list of the countries producing wigs to meet the worlds’ demands, ranked in the amount of revenue created during 2018.
You can also find the percentage indicating their level of contribution in the industry. This information was found on Worldtopexports.com, providing us with reliable information.
The leading countries for exporting wigs throughout the world are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Germany, Bangladesh, and the United States.
Leading syntheic hair wig producers:
RANKING | COUNTRY | TOTAL USD | CONTRIBUTION % |
1 | China | $168.2 million | 33.5% |
2 | Indonesia | $157.6 million | 31.4% |
3 | Philippines | $54.5 million | 10.9% |
4 | Germany | $34.4 million | 6.9% |
5 | Bangladesh | $22.2 million | 4.4% |
6 | United States | $15.4 million | 3.1% |
7 | Hong Kong | $11.8 million | 2.3% |
8 | United Kingdom | $6.5 million | 1.3% |
9 | Vietnam | $6 million | 1.2% |
10 | Myanmar | $5.8 million | 1.2% |
11 | Laos | $4.7 million | 0.9% |
12 | France | $3.4 million | 0.7% |
13 | Cambodia | $1.1 million | 0.2% |
14 | Italy | $1.1 million | 0.2% |
15 | Nigeria | $1 million | 0.2% |
[World’s Top Exports, 2020]
Leading human hair wig producers:
RANKING | COUNTRY | TOTAL USD | CONTRIBUTION % |
1 | China | $963.4 million | 75.6% |
2 | Indonesia | $94.6 million | 7.4% |
3 | United States | $50.5 million | 4% |
4 | Hong Kong | $49.2 million | 3.9% |
5 | Germany | $28.1 million | 2.2% |
6 | Italy | $12.2 million | 1% |
7 | Israel | $9.3 million | 0.7% |
8 | Netherlands | $7.3 million | 0.6% |
9 | Bangladesh | $6.6 million | 0.5% |
10 | Vietnam | $6.6 million | 0.5% |
11 | United Kingdom | $5.9 million | 0.5% |
12 | Austria | $4.8 million | 0.4% |
13 | South Korea | $4.2 million | 0.3% |
14 | Canada | $3.1 million | 0.2% |
15 | Sweden | $2.7 million | 0.2% |
After seeing the number of countries who are involved in supplying these products and meeting the worlds’ demand, we can understand how large this industry is and also see how sought after these products are. The question is, why is this industry so big and why has it grown substantially. Let’s have a look further into this.
6 Reasons Why Wigs Are Popular and Increasing in Demand?
Wigs still have a slightly negative connotation and stigma people hold to them, however, most people who don’t understand the movement towards them are the ones who have not worn them. According to a study, research indicated that less than a fourth of men and women are happy with their appearance and therefore increasing the demand in cosmetics and ways to enhance the way we look.
One of the main reasons that wigs have become increasingly popular is due to the fact that more people in the United States are earning increased disposable incomes, meaning they have more money to spend on wigs. Wigs also allow for a quick change in style that cannot be as easily achieved with your natural hair.
There are 6 additional reasons people love wigs and here are the reasons why:
#1 Wearing wigs save people money.
Yes, wigs are expensive, however, salon visits also cost you a lot of money and with a short hairstyle requiring a salon visit every 4-8 weeks and a longer hairstyle requiring a visit every 8-12 weeks, one may be saving a bit of cash investing in a wig! Let’s also take the amount of hair products we buy for our hair into consideration!
#2 Wigs allow for interchangeable styles.
Have you ever cut your hair hoping for an exact replica of the picture you’ve shown the hairdresser and then realize it was not the look for you? Or maybe you’re just bored of your hairstyle and would love to experiment with a few more options? Wigs allow people to do exactly this – giving them free rein to explore different styles that are available at their fingertips and achievable after a few days of ordering their chose wig! Change is exciting and people love it!
#3 Wigs cover up thinning hair.
Hair loss is considered to be a result of aging, however, many people are not aware that it is experienced by more women than what we think. Research has proven that 10% of the American female population suffers from hair loss due to stress, weight loss or weight gain and postpartum side effects. As much as there are treatments and supplements women can take for this, a wig is an easy problem solver which gives them the confidence approach there day without insecurity.
#4 Wigs are a time saver!
Did you know that on overage, American women will spend up to six full years of their life doing their hair each day! It sounds incredibly bizarre, but if we had to set aside 10 minutes per day doing this task, our hairstyling time would certainly add up!
Think about the amount of time saved if one didn’t have to put so much time aside to do this each day? Keeping that in mind, wigs have been able to provide women with salon-worthy styles in seconds – all one has to do is put their wig on and they’re ready to do on with their day! Little maintenance and upkeep, and one get’s the look they want. It seems like a wonderful solution, with life getting busier and more demanding, one looks at saving time wherever they can!
#5 Wigs protect your hair.
Each day, women style their hair using different products, apparatus, and even different methods. Sprays, mousses, gels, straighteners, hair driers, teasing, you name it. Hair is delicate and as much as we are trying to make our hair look wonderful, the process of styling and the methods we use to achieve the results are in so many ways only causing damage to our hair.
Wearing a wig over your hair is now more commonly used to allow for your natural hair to have a break from product and to regain its strength and natural form. One no longer has to add color to their hair or apply heat, instead, it gets to be in its natural state while one reaps the rewards of the look they achieve with their wig – it’s a great balance!
#6 Amazing hair day- every day!
Everyone wants a fabulous hair day every day, and as discussed above looking at how much time is spent on average trying to achieve your hairdo, a wig is going to guarantee you get the look you were wanting within seconds! Pop on the wig, give it a comb and done!
Everyone wants to feel great about themselves and their look, so to be able to rely on having a beautiful hairstyle each day gives women the confidence they love to have – you feel good and that’s the main thing!
Final Thoughts
It has been brought to our attention how much wigs are in demand, whether they are serving a beauty purpose or if they are being used for health reasons. They give people the confidence they want to feel, and with self-esteem being a huge factor to one’s standard of living, the demand in wigs is a result of the happiness it creates.
Countries worldwide are aware of this growing industry and continue to produce these products to meet consumer needs.