Sectoral composition of light industry. Features of location and sectoral structure of light industry

Peculiarities light industry

Light industry- a set of specialized industries that produce mainly consumer goods from various types raw materials.

Light industry carries out both primary processing of raw materials and production finished products. Light industry enterprises produce industrial, technical and special purpose, which is used in furniture, aviation, automotive, chemical, electrical, food and other industries, agriculture, law enforcement agencies, transport and healthcare.

One of the features of light industry is quick returns Money . Technological features of the industry make it possible to quickly change the range of products at a minimum of costs, which ensures high mobility of production.

Light industry unites a group of industries that provide the population with fabrics, clothing, shoes and other consumer goods

Features of light industry:

The industry's products affect people's living standards;

Labor-intensive industry, which employs mainly women (75% of workers);

The size of the enterprises is small and does not require large amounts of energy and water.

The main raw materials of light industry are agricultural products, both crop production (cotton, flax, etc.) and livestock production (leather, wool, natural silk, etc.).

Scientific and technological progress plays a significant role in the expansion and spatial orientation of the raw material base for light industry. Based organic synthesis In the areas where petrochemical enterprises are located, the production of synthetic materials has increased significantly: fibers and threads, plastics, rubber, rubber, artificial leather. As a result, raw materials seemed to move closer to the places of production and consumption of finished light industry products, since the chemistry of organic synthesis, as is known, is located in areas where productive forces are concentrated. The share of chemical fibers in the total volume of processed raw materials is more than 30%. The degree of use of chemical raw materials in the light industry of economically developed countries is much higher and continues to increase.

Light industry sectors (with the exception of primary processing of raw materials), according to their affinity for sources of raw materials and areas of consumption, are divided into the following groups shown in Figure 11.1.

Figure 11.1 - Light industry sectors

The importance of light industry in the future should increase, which will undoubtedly be influenced by the sociologization of the economy in market conditions, available raw materials, as well as the availability of qualified personnel.

However, it can be assumed that, in general, Kazakhstan’s light industry products will not become competitive on the world market in the near future. This is due, firstly, to the fact that the country, due to climatic conditions, does not have enough of its own natural raw materials in the form of cotton and silk, and secondly, competition on the world market is too strong southern countries located in more favorable conditions a combination of a significant amount of raw materials and labor resources (China, India), as well as economically developed and traditionally trendsetters (Italy, France).

Main problems of the industry:

– low level wages;

– use of outdated equipment. Since 2005, the annual renewal of equipment in the industry has not exceeded 3-4%, in economically developed countries - 14-16%;

– high share of illegally imported goods in the consumer market. Most enterprises are concentrated in the provinces;

– lack of enterprises’ own funds for production development.

2. Problems of light industry:

Flax growing

The main supplier of natural raw materials for light industry is agriculture. Flax growing is in a very difficult situation. From year to year, fiber flax crops are being reduced, and its yield is falling. Flax growing is unevenly distributed. Currently, the issue of reviving domestic flax growing to replace purchased cotton is being resolved.

Wool. Natural wool comes mainly from sheep, a very small share (less than 1.5%) comes from goats, etc. The quality of supplied wool has sharply deteriorated, the bulk of which does not meet international standards:

Only 8% of the domestic clothing market in Kazakhstan is provided by domestic products (in the related footwear industry this figure is 1%). And even then, these are mainly uniforms and shoes for the armed forces and police;

The first months of this year again showed a decline in light industry. The tax burden in light industry continues to be the highest compared to other sectors of the economy of Kazakhstan.

Light industry in the world plays a significant role in modern economy. It provides the population with household and industrial goods and consumer goods. Light industry closely interacts with agriculture and other areas.

Main characteristics

Light industry is understood as a set of industries that produce items from various raw materials for the population. Conventionally divided into two groups:

• The first is that it contains cheap mass products. Characterized by low-labor production and the presence of low-skilled labor.
• The second one produces expensive goods and is characterized by qualified workers and high-tech equipment.

IN furniture production Italy owns 8% (of the world total), the USA – 15%, and China about 25%.

Features of light industry include:

• tight connection to the territory and consumer;
• dependence on the economic level of the population;
• changes in fashion and preferences;
• periodic changes in requirements for production technologies and raw materials;
• quick change of assortment.

Light industry sectors have their own structure and include the following industries:

• raw materials – leather processing, production of flax, cotton, etc.;
• semi-products – dyeing, textile;
• finished goods – haberdashery, shoes, clothing.

The global light industry includes the main industries - textile (in first place), footwear and clothing. Feature: they are unevenly represented in the world economy.

Industries are developing successfully mainly in developing countries. This is explained by the presence of cheap labor and raw materials, and simple production. In developed countries, expensive products are often produced using skilled labor and high technology.

Textile industry

It occupies a leading position in the world's light industry. Worker employment and production volumes are leading among all others. Manufactured by:

• synthetic and natural fabrics;
• nonwoven materials;
• ropes;
• yarn;
• carpet products.

The textile industry is the oldest, it includes the production of cotton (first place), wool, silk, and chemical fibers.

Mixed fabrics are becoming the most popular; they contain about 50% cotton and 50% synthetic fibers. In global production, the share of synthetic fibers has increased significantly, while natural fibers have decreased.

Over the past 20 years, textile manufacturing has been moving towards countries in the Asian region. Main leaders:

• China;
• Taiwan;
• South Korea;
• India, Türkiye.

The share of developed countries in the industry has decreased significantly; they manage to maintain their position by producing more expensive textiles. Many the developed countries They transferred part of their industry to developing regions. The production of nonwoven materials used for technical purposes is increasing. The majority of this sector belongs to China and EU countries (25%).

Light industry sectors

Garment industry

It is considered more labor-intensive than textile. Characterized by great demand and variety of goods. Manufacturing has shifted from developed to developing countries.

The latter occupy the largest part in the industry segment - about 80% of clothing exports. The leaders are China, Asia and Latin America. Developed countries specialize mainly in sewing expensive or exclusive products.

The clothing industry also includes the production (sewing) of toys. Production is developed in almost every region. The most significant suppliers are China, Japan and the USA.

There is an increase in investment flows for industry development in the Baltic countries. This is explained by the proximity of the Western market, low wages with sufficient qualifications of employees.

Leather and footwear industry

The footwear industry is evenly concentrated in both developing and developed regions. She's different wide range, it is not inferior to the clothing industry in terms of the variety of raw materials. Natural (leather, nubuck, suede), synthetic (leatherette), and textile materials are used.

In developed countries, higher quality products are made from expensive raw materials. The undisputed leader is major manufacturer Italy, back in the 50s, was famous for its shoes. Countries such as the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain are not inferior to their positions. Expensive shoes take up a third of all shoe production.

The segment is no less saturated with cheap shoes made of textiles and leatherette. The leading position rightfully belongs to China – it covers 40% general production, in the middle of the ranking are Korea, Brazil, and Thailand. Russia has significantly reduced volumes, gradually moving from producer to importer.

The production of fur products belongs to China, the USA, and Russia. Greece occupies a special place in this segment, where fur trimmings are processed.

China is a leader in the light industry; today the country continues to develop and conquer new markets.

Forecasts for industries

Key sectors of light industry focused on mass consumption (cheap shoes, clothing) are concentrated in developing regions. Developed countries are reserved for the production of high-quality products for a limited circle of consumers (high-tech products made from expensive raw materials).

The importance of light industry has a social orientation in the world economy. It provides the population with necessary consumer and household items, creates the comfort and well-being of citizens, and plays a significant role in the country’s economy.

Consumption rates vary, but the average is gradually increasing; buyers often return to the strategy of accumulating basic household items, which increases demand for the product.

Marketers assure that regulations for fulfilling the volume of the consumer basket exist at every enterprise to supply the population required quantity units is easy. The interest of buyers is studied, the indicators are verified by social surveys, the trend of fashion designers is also taken into account.

Video: Russian light industry

Light industry is part of the complex of industries producing consumer goods. The industry produces over 40% of all non-food products in this group. Light industry plays a significant role in interstate relations between the CIS countries: there is a constant exchange of raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products. More than 2 million people are employed in light industry in Russia. (mostly women). Light industry products are used to satisfy people's needs, and are also used in other industries in the form of raw materials and auxiliary materials (in the food industry, mechanical engineering, etc.).

Light industry is a complex industry that includes more than 20 sub-sectors, which can be combined into three main groups.

1. Textile, including linen, cotton, wool, silk, knitted, as well as primary processing flax, wool, production of nonwoven materials, network knitting industry, felting industry, production of textile haberdashery, etc.

2. Sewing.

3. Leather, fur, footwear.

The largest share in the structure of light industry is occupied by the products of the clothing and textile sub-sectors.

Currently, goods produced by light industry enterprises in Russia are significantly inferior in quality to products from developed countries, labor productivity is relatively low, and production costs are higher compared to the world level.

The volume of production is decreasing from year to year, the textile industry is in a particularly difficult situation, where the decline in production is the highest among industrial sectors. The main reason is the lack of raw materials, primarily cotton, which is not produced in the Russian Federation. Raw hides, chemical fibers, wool, and flax are also partially imported. Only 25% of the industry is provided with its own raw materials (although the level of self-sufficiency can be much higher if agricultural supplies are restored to at least the previous volumes).

An increase in prices for raw materials imported into the country and raw materials of own production leads to a sharp increase in prices for finished products, which narrows the effective demand of the population and industries - buyers, making goods domestic production less competitive compared to imported ones, especially relatively cheap ones made in China and Turkey.

Markets for sales of finished products abroad in Russia have almost been lost - primarily in the countries of the former Soviet republics, where a significant part of the fabrics produced was exported in exchange for supplies of raw materials. From these same states, the Russian Federation received knitwear, shoes and other products.

In complex easy position industry was also due to morally and physically obsolete equipment at its enterprises. Thus, in textile factories the share of such equipment is about 60%. Technical re-equipment of enterprises using imports from developed countries is practically impossible today due to the lack of foreign currency, since the industry as a whole is not export-oriented.

All this leads to constant growth unemployment in light industry, both hidden and real. The situation has become especially aggravated at city-forming enterprises that support the social sphere of small towns and villages.

During the transition to the market, a significant restructuring of the functioning of industry enterprises is inevitable, since their viability depends on a quick response to constantly changing market conditions, a balanced assortment, and reducing production costs. Only on this basis is it possible to significantly increase the share of light industry in the country's total production, which has decreased to 5%.

The efficiency of the industry also depends on the rational location of its enterprises. Many regions of Russia are almost completely dependent on the import of light industry products from other regions and do not use internal opportunities. Moreover, the import of relevant products often does not cover needs, which leads to the accumulation of pent-up demand. Hence, one of the most important tasks is the development of local industry producing consumer goods, including light goods.

In the light industry of our country, there was a constant increase in the concentration of production, expressed in the predominance of large enterprises and the “washing out” of small ones. Concentration is closely related to the combination of production, which is most typical for enterprises in the textile, footwear and leather industries. Concentration to certain limits allows you to increase the scale of production, increase labor productivity, reduce the cost of a unit of production, and improve tools. However, the specificity of light industry is such that less large enterprises can respond more flexibly to changes in demand for products and take into account market conditions. It is no coincidence that in the most developed countries small enterprises predominate in this industry.

Light industry is characterized by less pronounced territorial specialization, since in almost every region there are one or another of its enterprises. However, in Russia it is possible to distinguish specialized nodes and areas, especially in the textile industry, providing a certain range of products. For example, the Ivanovo and Tver regions specialize in the production of cotton products. The Central Economic Region specializes in the production of products from all branches of the textile industry. But most often, the sub-sectors of light industry are complementary to the economic complex of the regions, providing only the internal needs of the regions.

The factors for locating light industry enterprises are varied, but the main ones can be identified.

Ø Raw material factor, which primarily influences the location of enterprises for the primary processing of raw materials (for example, flax processing factories are located in flax production areas, wool washing enterprises - in sheep breeding areas, enterprises for the primary processing of leather - near large meat processing plants).

Ø Population, i.e. consumer factor. Finished products of light industry are less transportable compared to semi-finished products. For example, it is cheaper to supply pressed raw cotton than cotton fabrics.

Ø Labor factor, providing for their significant size and qualifications, since all branches of light industry are labor-intensive. Historically, light industry uses predominantly female labor, so it is necessary to take into account the possibility of using both female and male labor in the regions (i.e., develop light industry in areas where heavy industry is concentrated, create appropriate production facilities in regions where light industry is concentrated) .

In the past, the availability of fuel and energy resources played a significant role in location, since textile and footwear production are fuel-intensive. Currently, this factor is considered secondary due to the development of the power transmission line network, oil and gas pipelines.

Raw material base The light industry of Russia is quite developed; it provides a significant part of the needs of enterprises for flax fiber, wool, chemical fiber and threads, fur and leather raw materials.

The main supplier of natural raw materials for light industry is agriculture. Flax growing, a traditional industry in Russia, is in a very difficult situation. From year to year, fiber flax crops are being reduced, and its yield is falling. In the 1980s, Russia did not provide itself with raw materials for the flax industry, which it imported mainly from Ukraine. Flax growing is distributed extremely unevenly: over 60% of the harvested raw materials are in the Central region, 25% in the Northwestern and Vologda regions of the Northern region, and only 15% in all the rest (Volgo-Vyatka, Ural, West Siberian and East Siberian) . Currently, the issue of reviving domestic flax growing to replace purchased cotton is being resolved.

Natural wool comes mainly from sheep, a very small share (less than 1.5%) comes from goats, etc. By the beginning of 1994, compared to 1990, the number of sheep decreased by 25%, wool production by 23%, and the quality of the supplied wool sharply deteriorated. wool, the bulk of which does not meet international standards. Currently, the needs of the wool industry for natural raw materials are not being met. The main regions - suppliers of raw materials: North Caucasus, Volga region and East Siberian.

Light industry could provide itself almost completely with natural leather raw materials, but a significant part of it is exported from Russia. In return, you have to purchase semi-finished products for the production of shoes and other products, which increases the price of finished products, affects the price and growth of costs for the production of raw hides due to the rise in cost of keeping livestock (costs on feed, equipment, fertilizers).

The domestically produced raw material for the production of twisted products (twine, rope, ropes) is hemp, produced from hemp stems. Hemp farming is developed in the Volga region, the North Caucasus and other areas; crops have been declining since the 1960s. Jute and sisal are imported from India, Bangladesh and other countries.

Cotton is not grown in Russia, so the country's developed cotton industry is entirely based on imported raw materials. Raw cotton comes mainly from Central Asian countries (the main part from Uzbekistan, as well as from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan), not most of- from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, etc. In recent years, supplies of raw materials from former Soviet republics have often been disrupted; in an effort to earn foreign currency, they offer cotton at dumping prices abroad. All this seriously destabilizes the work of the Russian cotton industry.

In addition to natural raw materials, synthetic and artificial fibers and artificial leathers supplied by chemical industry. The feedstock for their production is oil refining waste, natural gas, coal tar. The main regions supplying chemical fibers are the Center and the Volga region, as well as the West Siberian, North Caucasus, and Central Black Earth economic regions. Some types of artificial leather and synthetic fibers are not produced in Russia. For example, the production of high-quality artificial leather for the production of bags and gloves and mittens, traditionally supplied from Uzbekistan, Moldova and Ukraine, has not yet been mastered. Currently, many suppliers are lost to us.

Let us consider the development and location of the main branches of light industry in Russia.

See also:

1. Definition

Light industry- a set of specialized industries, a branch of the national economy, producing mainly consumer goods from various types of raw materials. Light industry occupies one of the important places in the production of gross national product* and plays a significant role in the country's economy. Light industry carries out both primary processing of raw materials and production of finished products. Light industry enterprises also produce products for industrial, technical and special purposes, which are used in furniture, aviation, automotive, chemical, electrical, food and other industries, agriculture, law enforcement agencies, transport and healthcare. The name “light” is of a conventional, historical nature; it allows us to distinguish this industry from the so-called heavy industry that produces metal, machine tools, etc.

Emergence of the industry

Light industry as a branch of large factory industry appeared in the second half of the 18th century. The impetus for technical progress in light industry was given by major inventions of the 18th century, such as the spinning machine, weaving machine, and card machine. Inventions determined the transition of the textile industry from the stage of capitalist manufacture to the stage of large-scale machine industry.

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* – Gross national product(GNP or GNP) - unlike GDP, reflects the total value of final goods and services created not only within the country, but also abroad. GNP is calculated in the same way as GDP, but differs from it by an amount equal to the balance of payments with foreign countries. If we add to the GDP indicator the difference between receipts from primary income from abroad and primary income received by foreign investors in a given country, this is the size of GNP.

2. Functions

The socio-economic role of light industry both in the country as a whole and in the regional aspect is very great. On the one hand, its enterprises are highly labor-intensive, on the other hand, they provide not only physiological, but also aesthetic needs of people. The presence of light industry enhances the complexity of the development of economic regions.

3. Accommodation

The nature of the territorial organization of light industry is determined primarily by the influence of consumer and raw material factors. The effect of each of them turns out to be different depending on the stage of production and the technical and economic specifics of a particular industry, and regardless of the raw material or consumer orientation, the importance of the labor factor, i.e., the provision of the necessary labor resources, is extremely important.

Light industry has close contact with agriculture, especially at the stage of primary processing of raw materials. At the same time, it interacts with heavy industry sectors such as mechanical engineering, chemical and petrochemical industries. Receiving necessary equipment, chemical fibers, dyes, light industry, in turn, provides them with products for industrial purposes.

At the stage of primary processing of raw materials, the enrichment of which involves massive waste (for example, the yield of fibers when processing flax straw is 1/5 of the weight of the original raw material), production gravitates towards raw material bases. Thus, flax and hemp processing enterprises are located in areas where these crops are distributed.

The territorial combination of light industry and heavy industry is beneficial from the point of view of rational use of labor resources, since women are more involved in the production of consumer goods than men.

4. Composition, sections

Light industry products account for more than 1/4 of the total production of consumer goods.

All branches of light industry (with the exception of primary processing of raw materials), according to their affinity to sources of raw materials and areas of consumption, are divided into the following groups:

1) industries with a simultaneous focus on both raw materials and consumers - cotton, wool, silk, knitwear;

2) consumer-oriented industries - footwear and clothing;

3) industries focused on raw materials - flax.

As part of the light industry, the largest in terms of output volume and number of employed workers is textile industry, uniting the production of all types of fabrics and other products based on fibrous raw materials.

The old textile manufacturing areas have undergone significant reconstruction in order to eliminate the previous discrepancy between spinning and weaving. Important results were achieved by creating centers of the textile industry in new areas of consumption, primarily in Siberia, where the production of fabrics using imported and partly local (wool, chemical fibers) raw materials made it possible to make the most rational use of female labor, which did not find sufficient use here due to the dominance of “male” industries (mining, metallurgy, logging, etc.).

Garment industry In terms of gross output, it ranks second after textiles, but is characterized by a much wider distribution. Its enterprises, having a consumer orientation, are actually represented in all economic regions.

The clothing industry “replicates” the distribution of the population and “finds” the necessary labor resources in consumption areas. About 4/5 of the total production of garments (by value) is concentrated in the European part. However, their share in general release There is less light industry production here than in the eastern regions, where the textile industry and other industries are still relatively less developed.

Shoe industry belongs to the number of industries where the consumer orientation of enterprises is complemented by the influence of the raw material factor.

Historically, leather and shoe production were geographically interconnected. They first appeared in the Central region (Ostashkov, Kimry) and in the North-West (St. Petersburg).

Now in the footwear industry, not only natural, but also artificial leather, as well as textile materials (for the upper) are used as raw materials. As a result, the raw material base has become wider. At the same time, the attraction of footwear production to areas where finished products are consumed has increased. In 1998, 23.8 million pairs of shoes were produced.

In the European part, approximately 75% is harvested and about 85% of raw hides are processed. More than 4/5 of all shoes in the country are produced here. Most major centers footwear industry are located in the Central (Moscow) and Northwestern (St. Petersburg) regions, in the North Caucasus (Rostov).

5. Problems

Industry Problems

Imports are growing at a faster pace in trade turnover on the domestic market. The share of official imports in the volume of sales of light industry goods in 2008 was 38.2% (3 years ago - 11.4%). In 2008, the supply of knitwear from non-CIS countries increased by 55%, sewing products by 43%, and leather shoes by 38.3%. In the segment of final demand goods, the dominant position (about 80%) is occupied by legal and illegal imports, as well as unaccounted production.

The problem of illegal imports and unaccounted for (underground) production, the volume of which is more than double the level of legal production and imports, is a significant problem not only for the industry, but also for the economy as a whole. Illegally imported and produced goods account for almost 50% of the market, which inevitably distorts the commodity distribution system. With the increasing expansion of smuggled and counterfeit products, the Russian market is increasingly becoming semi-criminal in nature. Every year, almost 650 billion rubles are withdrawn from taxes (non-payment of VAT and duties on products of the shadow sector and other taxes). products.

The growth in volumes of legal and shadow imports has led to the formation of extremely tough competition conditions for domestic producers. Products manufactured in Russia, being low-margin, experienced strong competition from legal and illegal importers, which in some cases led to zero profitability of production.

The competitiveness of the Russian light industry is also negatively affected by technical and technological backwardness from foreign countries, which is expressed in high material intensity, energy intensity and labor intensity of production. The share of equipment in the industry’s machine park that has been in use for 6–10 years is 23.5%, 11–20 years is 55.0%, and more than 20 years is 19%. Many enterprises do not have modern technological processes that affect the consumer properties of the finished product. The rate of renewal of fixed assets is 3–5% per year versus 14–16% in economically developed countries, whose products prevail in Russian market. Enterprises in the industry practically do not use automated production process control systems.

Another systemic problem of the industry is the low level of innovation and investment activity of manufacturers, which is expressed in the weak competitiveness of domestic goods, the low share of know-how and innovative products in sales volume on the Russian and world markets. Investments in fixed capital of light industry remain insignificant. Their share in the total investment volume of manufacturing industries was only 0.65%. The current level of investment is clearly insufficient to increase the scale of production and master the effective achievements of industrial science. The industry is characterized by a low level of production capacity utilization. In the 2000s. The reduction in the volume and effectiveness of research and development continued, caused by a decrease in budgetary funding for R&D.

Light industry is a set of industries specializing in the production of consumer goods. Counts important factor formation of the gross national product (GNP), and is also located in key positions of the economy in almost every state. Within its industries, both primary processing of raw materials and final product at the exit. The enterprises produce goods for industrial, technical and special purposes, which are then used as components in various industrial production(for the manufacture of cars, furniture, aviation technology, electrical engineering, etc.). Characterized by a quick return on investment.

History of development

It is difficult to imagine the history of human society without consumer goods so necessary for every person. With the development of human civilization, the needs of each individual (new clothes, shoes, household items and luxury goods) constantly played a role, therefore, various industries constantly developed: clothing, textiles, leather and footwear and others. European manufactories of the 14th-16th centuries pushed society towards the creation of a capitalist system, and served as a kind of impetus for the beginning of industrialization. The process of accelerated socio-economic transition to the industrial path of development (in other words, industrialization) took place in countries around the world in different times, and ultimately led to the fact that in the economies of countries with development latest technologies and their introduction into production, the secondary sector (processing of raw materials and production of consumer products) began to dominate over the primary sector (crop farming, livestock farming, mining).

The economy of the USSR was characterized by the predominance of the heavy sector of industry (group “A”), the share of products in the economy was 75%, goods of group “B” related to light industry were 25%. In the USSR, the most important areas where enterprises were concentrated were the center and north-west of the RSFSR, middle Asia and the Baltic states. The USSR was a world leader in the production of footwear, textiles and clothing products, which were used both for export and for the domestic needs of the population. Among the socialist countries, the leaders were Hungary, Bulgaria, the GDR, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia; among the capitalist countries - Great Britain, the USA, Japan, Germany and France.

Main industries

Light industry is divided into the following sectors:

• Textile (includes sub-sectors: cotton, wool, linen, silk, hemp-jute, felting, knitting, net knitting).
• Sewing;
• Haberdashery;
• Tanning;
• Fur;
• Shoes.

The current situation in light industry in Russia

With the collapse of the USSR economy and the acquisition former republics Union status of independent states, there is a decrease in the share of light industry products in the country's economy: in the 90s - 12%, in the 2000s - 1%. According to official statistics, less than one unit of knitwear is produced for each citizen of the Russian Federation, 0.3 pairs of shoes, and 0.25 m2 of wool. This situation cannot but worry and requires state support national manufacturer, because modern market present a large number of imported cheap products (Chinese and Asian), in comparison with them Russian goods are uncompetitive. About 600 thousand people work in enterprises (factories, mills and plants), most of them women. Factories, plants and factories are located throughout Russia. In the Ivanovo region of Central Federal District Russian light industry is the leading branch of specialization. Textile factories in this region produce 50% of all Russian textiles.

Position of light industry in the world

In the last century, most light industry enterprises operated on the territory of more developed countries of the world (USA, European countries), but now there is a tendency to shift production capacities to developing countries of the so-called “third world”, where you can find a sufficient number of workers who are ready to work at the lowest prices.

Light industry enterprises are conventionally divided into the following groups:

• The first is the production of cheap consumer goods, which require low-skilled labor for production. Focused on developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America;
• The second is the production of goods in the more expensive market segment, which require highly qualified workers and special equipment. The enterprises are located in developed countries, the products are fur and jewelry.

The textile industry is a leading one in the economies of many countries around the world. Raw materials of natural origin, from which fabrics, threads, ropes and other products are produced, are increasingly giving way to synthetic fibers, due to their excellent elasticity and strength. In the production of cotton fabrics, the leading countries are China, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Brazil; in the production of woolen fabrics, China, South Korea and some developed countries with strong traditions of wool production - Italy, Japan, France, USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, silk fabrics - the unconditional leadership of the PRC. The largest exporting countries of textile goods in developing countries are China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, among developed countries are the USA, some EU countries, for example, Italy (produces 1/3 of all European textiles).