
World crude steel production was 139.6 million tonnes in December 2025, down 3.7 percent on the year, the World Steel Association reported on 23 January 2026, closing a year in which global output fell 2.0 percent to 1,803.8 million tonnes across the 70 reporting countries. Including estimates for countries that report only annually, total world production was 1,849.4 million tonnes. China, the world's largest producer, made 68.2 million tonnes in December, down 10.3 percent, and its full-year output fell 4.4 percent to 960.8 million tonnes, dropping below the one billion tonne threshold for the first time in years. India moved the other way, producing 14.8 million tonnes in December, up 10.1 percent, and finishing the year up 10.4 percent. Asia and Oceania produced 99.7 million tonnes in December, down 6.3 percent, while the Middle East grew 13.9 percent to 5.3 million tonnes. Of the ten largest producing nations, four recorded growth in 2025, India, Turkey, the United States and Iran, while six declined.
Source: World Steel Association — https://worldsteel.org/media/press-releases/2026/december-2025-crude-steel-production-2025-global-crude-steel-production/
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (freely licensed).
