In January 2026, global steel production reached 147.3 million tons, which is 6.5% less compared to the same period in 2025. This statistic was released by the World Steel Association (worldsteel) based on data from 69 countries that regularly report to the organization.
This is reported by Finway
Production Decline in Key Regions of the World
The most significant decrease in production was recorded in the countries of Asia and Oceania, where 107.6 million tons of steel were produced in January, representing an 8.6% decline compared to the previous year. A similar level of decline — 8.6% year-on-year — was observed in Russia, other CIS countries, and Ukraine, where the total steel production amounted to 6.5 million tons.
European Union countries (27 members) also experienced a steel production decrease of 2.3% compared to January of the previous year, reaching 10.3 million tons. In South America, steel production fell by 1.2% year-on-year to 3.4 million tons, while in North America, it decreased by 0.6% year-on-year to 9.2 million tons.
Growth in Africa, the Middle East, and Outside the EU
In contrast to the global trend, steel production in Africa increased by 5.8% in January 2026, totaling 2 million tons. In European countries outside the EU, a year-on-year growth of 4.4% was recorded, reaching 3.7 million tons. The Middle East also demonstrated significant growth — up 12.6% year-on-year to 4.8 million tons.
“Global steel production in January 2026 was 147.3 million tons, which is 6.5% less compared to January 2025.”
Leaders in the Global Steel Market
In January 2026, China remained the largest steel producer in the world, producing 75.3 million tons. The top ten countries by production volume also included:
- India — 15.1 million tons
- USA — 7.1 million tons
- Japan — 6.8 million tons
- South Korea — 5.6 million tons
- Russia — 5.5 million tons
- Turkey — 3.4 million tons
- Germany — 3.1 million tons
- Brazil — 2.7 million tons
- Iran — 2.6 million tons