Model’s hair (Pixabay)

Raw human hair has significant commercial value. In some countries, criminals have made hair theft a recurrent problem.

Natural human hair is also a valued commodity in international trade, processed by businesses into hair extensions and wigs.

Globally, international sales of exported human hair (excluding hair extensions and wigs) totaled US$280.6 million in 2025.

That dollar amount reflects a 35.7% increase from $206.7 million in hair exports five years earlier during 2021.

Year over year, globally exported human accelerated via a 40.4% advance compared to $199.8 million starting from 2024.

The biggest 3 exporters of human hair are India, plus to a much lesser extent, Pakistan and the United States of America were responsible for 98.7% of worldwide exports for the commodity in 2025. That percentage is higher than 97.3% for 2024.

Among continents, exporters in Asia sold the highest dollar worth of exported human hair during 2025 with shipments valued at $277.7 million or 99% of the worldwide total.

Tinier percentages came from sellers in North America (0.6%), Europe (0.27%), Latin America (0.09%), Africa (also 0.09%) then Oceania’s Australia (0.002%).

For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0501 for human hair. The formal prefix code label for 0501 is unworked human hair whether or not washed or scoured and the waste of human hair.

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of human hair during 2025.

1. India: US$269.2 million (95.9% of total human hair exports)
2. Pakistan: $6.2 million (2.2%)
3. United States: $1.6 million (0.6%)
4. Vietnam: $898,000 (0.3%)
5. United Arab Emirates: $370,000 (0.1%)
6. Poland: $357,000 (0.1%)
7. South Korea: $346,000 (0.1%)
8. Myanmar: $278,000 (0.1%)
9. Brazil: $253,000 (0.1%)
10. Italy: $182,000 (0.1%)
11. Singapore: $144,000 (0.1%)
12. Bangladesh: $113,000 (0.04%)
13. Ghana: $102,000 (0.04%)
14. Indonesia: $96,000 (0.03%)
15. Nigeria: $84,000 (0.03%)

Biggest Surpluses from International Trade in Human Hair

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for human hair during 2025. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported human hair and its import purchases for that same commodity.

1. India: US$269.2 million (net export surplus up 42.6% since 2024)
2. Pakistan: $6.1 million (up 10.3%)
3. United States: $1.6 million (up 43.7%)
4. United Arab Emirates: $301,000 (reversing a -$118,000 deficit)
5. Poland: $259,000 (down -189.6%)
6. Vietnam: $247,000 (reversing a -$9.7 million deficit)
7. Singapore: $142,000 (reversing a -$1,000 deficit)
8. Ghana: $102,000 (up 580%)
9. Indonesia: $93,000 (down -14.7%)
10. Nigeria: $84,000 (reversing a -$1,000 deficit)
11. South Korea: $68,000 (up 51.1%)
12. Brazil: $49,000 (down -93.2%)
13. Japan: $30,000 (down -86.2%)
14. Senegal: $21,000 (2024 data unavailable)
15. South Africa: $21,000 (up 40%)

World-leading hair exporter India earned the highest surplus in the international trade of human hair. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms India’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.

Worst Deficits from International Trade in Human Hair

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for human hair during 2025. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported human hair purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

1. Myanmar: -US$266.9 million (net export deficit up 1,238% since 2024)
2. Austria: -$8.8 million (down -46.5%)
3. Bangladesh: -$4.3 million (up 1,989%)
4. Italy: -$3.5 million (down -38.4%)
5. United Kingdom: -$656,000 (up 131%)
6. Israel: -$592,000 (down -45.4%)
7. Czech Republic: -$287,000 (up 322.1%)
8. Sweden: -$259,000 (down -93.5%)
9. Germany: -$127,000 (reversing a $129,000 surplus)
10. Hong Kong: -$111,000 (up 11,000%)
11. Hungary: -$104,000 (down -17.5%)
12. Jamaica: -$82,000 (up 645.5%)
13. France: -$82,000 (down -38.3%)
14. Oman: -$73,000 (2024 data unavailable)
15. Slovakia: -$44,000 (down -55.1%)

Myanmar and Austria recorded the highest deficits in the international trade of human hair. In turn, the negative cashflows highlight both countries’ competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for human hair-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.

Average Prices Compared for Major Human Hair Exporters

1. India: US$65,302 per ton of human hair exports (up 20.6% from 2024)
2. Pakistan: $1,809 per ton (up 10.5%)
3. United States: $24,667 per ton (up 25.2%)
4. Vietnam: $179,600 per ton (down -27.3%)
5. South Korea: $346,000 per ton (down -15.4%)
6. Myanmar: $278,000 per ton (up 2,841%)
7. Brazil: $11,500 per ton (down -87.4%)
8. Italy: $13,000 per ton (2024 data unavailable)
9. Bangladesh: $56,500 per ton (up 1,188%)
10. Ghana: $6,800 per ton (up 112.5%)
11. Indonesia: $32,000 per ton (up 5.8%)
12. Nigeria: $1,091 per ton (2024 data unavailable)
13. United Kingdom: $3,565 per ton (up 33.7%)
14. Germany: $15,000 per ton (down -43.2%)
15. South Africa: $6,000 per ton (up 133.4%)

The lowest average prices among the listed biggest exporters of human hair originated from Nigeria, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

The highest average prices for exported hair were charged by suppliers in South Korea, Myanmar (sometimes called Burma), Vietnam, world-leading supplier India, and Bangladesh.

Human Hair Exporting Companies

According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of human hair exporters. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.

• B & K Import & Export (United States)
• Business-Salon Group Ltd (Ukraine)
• Evergreen Products Factory Ltd (Hong Kong)
• GRV Exports (India)
• Rawhair Import Export Company (Vietnam)
• UNICS Co, Ltd (Japan)
• Waheed Universal Hair Company (Pakistan)
• Widya International (Indonesia)