Foreword

As you are reading this you are likely to be in your office or working at a desk in your home. Take a moment to look around you. It’s probably the case that everything – and I am not exaggerating – everything that you can see, from the chair you are sitting on to the computer you are using to read this, either contains steel or was produced using a process that required steel.

Steel is everywhere in our lives, and for good reason. It has built the modern world and will be equally indispensable to the world as it moves forward.

World Steel in Figures provides a fascinating snapshot of the dynamics of today’s steel industry, including everything from production and production processes, to demand, trade, safety and more.

With the steel industry being responsible for between 7 and 9% of global CO2 emissions, the attention that the industry is receiving at present is focused on our environmental performance. Developing a global response to the environmental challenge is one of worldsteel’s key focus areas, and one which I take the opportunity to highlight here. Our Sustainability Indicators collect data from our members all over the world to assess the industry’s current performance and measure our progress. CO2 emissions, as well as the other issues measured by the indicators, fully commits the industry to reporting transparently with a view to highlighting the sustainable transition of steel production.

I do hope that you find World Steel in Figures and the details of our Sustainability Indicators of interest. Please don’t hesitate to contact us via worldsteel.org/about-us/our-people/ with any questions or comments.

Best wishes,

Dr Edwin Basson
Director General

Sustainability Indicators of the steel industry

Environmental performance

1. CO2 emissions intensity

In 2022, 1.91 tonnes of CO2 were emitted per tonne of
crude steel cast.

2. Energy intensity

In 2022, 20.99 GJ of energy were consumed per tonne of
crude steel cast.

3. Material efficiency

In 2022, 97.65% of steel industry raw materials were converted into steel products or co-products.

4. Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

In 2022, 96.15% of employees and contractors worked in
EMS-registered facilities.

Social performance

5. Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR)

In 2023, the number of injuries per million hours worked was 0.76 for employees and contractors combined.

6. Employee training

In 2022, employees in the steel industry received
7.78 days training/year.

Economic performance

7. Investment in new processes and products

In 2022, the steel industry invested 6.29% of its revenue in new products and processes.

8. Economic Value Distributed (EVD)

In 2022, the steel industry distributed 96.57% of its
revenue to society.

Notes:
Indicators 1 and 2: CO2 emissions intensity and energy intensity are calculated with the worldsteel CO2 data collection methodology, which includes all scopes (1, 2, and some scope 3). The two intensities represent production weighted averages between blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF), scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF) and direct reduced iron (DRI)-based EAF steel production. See page 6 for details.
Indicator 3: Only solid and liquid residues are included in this calculation, and process gases are not included.
Indicator 5: Lost time injury frequency rate includes fatalities and is calculated based on figures including contractors and employees.
Indicator 6: Employee training includes production and non-production facilities.Indicator 7: Investment in new processes and products includes capital expenditure and R&D investment.

In 2023, 94 steel companies and associations contributed to the Sustainability Indicators data collection. Crude steel produced by companies that reported on one or more indicators for fiscal year 2022 was 990.2 million tonnes, representing 53% of global crude steel production. 77 organisations voluntarily provided data for one or more of the 8 indicators, 41 of which provided data for all 8 indicators.

Highlights

Crude steel production 2000 – 2023

Steel production has been stable since 2020.

Apparent steel use per capita

Globally, 219 kg of steel was used in new products per person in 2023.
Crude steel production by process

In tonnes CO2 per tonnes of crude steel cast, based on 2022 calculation.

World crude steel production
1950 to 2023

million tonnes, crude steel production

Years World
1950  189
1955  270
1960  347
1965  456
1970  595
1975  644
1980  717
1985  719
1990  770
Years World
1995  753
2000  850
2005 1 148
2010 1 435
2011 1 540
2012 1 563
2013 1 654
2014 1 676
2015 1 626
Years World
2016 1 635
2017 1 739
2018 1 831
2019 1 880
2020 1 885
2021 1 963
2022 1 890
2023 1 892
Years World
1950 189
1955 270
1960 347
1965 456
1970 595
1975 644
1980 717
1985 719
1990 770
1995 753
2000 850
2005 1148
2010 1435
2011 1540
2012 1563
2013 1654
2014 1676
2015 1626
2016 1635
2017 1739
2018 1831
2019 1880
2020 1885
2021 1963
2022 1890
2023 1892
Average Growth Rates
% per annum
Years World
1950-55 7.4
1955-60 5.1
1960-65 5.6
1965-70 5.5
1970-75 1.6
1975-80 2.2
1980-85 0.1
1985-90 1.4
1990-95 -0.5
1995-00 2.5
2000-05 6.2
2005-10 4.6
2010-15 2.5
2015-20 3.0
2020-23 0.4

Top 50 steel-producing companies 2023

million tonnes, crude steel production

2023 Rank Company 2023
1 China Baowu Group 1 130.77
2 ArcelorMittal 2 68.52
3 Ansteel Group 3 55.89
4 Nippon Steel Corporation 4 43.66
5 HBIS Group 41.34
6 Shagang Group 40.54
7 POSCO Holdings 38.44
8 Jianlong Group 5 36.99
9 Shougang Group 33.58
10 Tata Steel Group 29.50
11 Delong Steel 6 28.26
12 JSW Steel Limited 26.15
13 JFE Steel Corporation 25.09
14 Hunan Steel Group 7 24.80
15 Nucor Corporation 21.20
16 Fangda Steel 19.56
17 Shandong Steel Group 19.45
18 Hyundai Steel 19.24
19 SAIL 19.18
20 Rizhao Steel 18.66
21 Liuzhou Steel 18.62
22 Cleveland-Cliffs 17.27
23 Tsingshan Holding 16.28
24 U. S. Steel 15.75
25 Baotou Steel 15.20
2023 Rank Company 2023
26 Techint Group 14.82
27 Jingye Group 14.51
28 NLMK 14.24
29 CITIC Pacific 14.17
30 Sinogiant Group 13.63
31 Shenglong Metallurgical 13.12
32 MMK 12.99
33 Gerdau S.A. 12.74
34 China Steel Corporation 12.58
35 Anyang Steel 12.34
36 Zenith Steel 11.92
37 Shaanxi Steel 11.86
38 Severstal 11.27
39 Sanming Steel 11.24
40 Nanjing Steel 11.00
41 thyssenkrupp 10.35
42 Mobarakeh Steel Company 10.33
43 Steel Dynamics, Inc. 10.32
44 EVRAZ 10.09
45 Donghai Special Steel 9.43
46 Jiuquan Steel 9.01
47 Jindal Steel and Power Ltd 7.90
48 SSAB 7.78
49 Jinxi Steel 7.53
50 Jinnan Steel 7.45

1 Including Xinyu Steel tonnage since 2022. Excluding Kunming Steel tonnage since 2023.
2 Includes 60% AM/NS India (former Essar Steel)
3 Including Benxi Steel tonnage since 2021
4 Includes NIPPON STEEL Stainless Steel Corporation, Sanyo Special Steel and Ovako, 40% AM/NS India and 31.4% USIMINAS
5 Including Eastern Steel tonnage since 2020
6 Including Dexin Steel tonnage since 2020
7 Former Valin Group

Notes on company ownership and tonnage calculations:
For worldsteel members, the data was sourced from their official tonnage declarations. For Chinese companies, the official CISA tonnage publication was used, unless especially noted. In case of more than 50% ownership, 100% of the subsidiary’s tonnage is included, unless specified otherwise. In cases of 30%-50% ownership, pro-rata tonnage is included. Unless otherwise specified in the declaration, less than 30% ownership is considered a minority and therefore, not included. Figures represent ownership ending 31 December 2023.

For an extended company listing, go to https://worldsteel.org/data//top-producers.

Major steel-producing countries
2022 and 2023

million tonnes, crude steel production

Country 2023 2022
Rank Tonnage Rank Tonnage
China 1 1 019.1 1 1 019.1
India 2 140.8 2 125.4
Japan 3 87.0 3 89.2
United States 4 81.4 4 80.5
Russia 5 76.0 5 71.7
South Korea 6 66.7 6 65.8
Germany 7 35.4 7 36.9
Türkiye 8 33.7 8 35.1
Brazil 9 31.8 9 34.1
Iran 10 31.0 10 30.6
Italy 11 21.1 11 21.6
Viet Nam 12 19.2 13 20.0
Taiwan, China 13 19.1 12 20.8
Indonesia e 14 16.8 15 15.6
Mexico 15 16.2 14 18.4
Canada 16 12.2 17 12.1
Spain 17 11.4 18 11.6
Egypt 18 10.4 20 9.8
France 19 10.0 16 12.1
Saudi Arabia 20 9.9 19 9.9
Malaysia e 21 7.5 23 7.2
Austria 22 7.1 21 7.5
Poland 23 6.4 22 7.4
Ukraine 24 6.2 25 6.3
Belgium 25 5.9 24 7.0
United Kingdom 26 5.6 28 6.0
Bangladesh e 27 5.5 31 5.2
Australia 28 5.5 29 5.6
Pakistan 29 5.3 27 6.0
Thailand 30 5.0 30 5.3
Argentina 31 4.9 32 5.1
South Africa e 32 4.9 34 4.4
Netherlands 33 4.7 26 6.1
Algeria 34 4.4 35 4.3
Slovakia 35 4.4 38 3.9
Sweden 36 4.3 33 4.4
Kazakhstan 37 3.9 37 4.1
Finland 38 3.8 40 3.5
United Arab Emirates 39 3.8 39 3.7
Czechia 40 3.4 36 4.3
Oman e 41 2.9 42 2.9
Iraq 42 2.8 41 3.3
Belarus e 43 2.3 44 2.1
Portugal 44 2.0 46 1.9
Luxembourg 45 1.9 45 1.9
Peru 46 1.7 47 1.8
Philippines e 47 1.7 49 1.6
Romania 48 1.6 43 2.6
Serbia 49 1.5 48 1.7
Morocco 50 1.4 50 1.6
Others 21.6 21.3
World 1 892.2 1 890.2

e – estimate

Crude steel production by process 2023

Million
tonnes
Oxygen
%
Electric
%
Other
%
Total
%
Austria  7.1  90.7  9.3  100.0
Belgium e  5.9  69.3  30.7  100.0
Bulgaria  0.5  100.0  100.0
Croatia  0.2  100.0  100.0
Czechia  3.4  95.6  4.4  100.0
Finland  3.8  62.0  38.0  100.0
France  10.0  59.2  40.8  100.0
Germany  35.4  72.3  27.7  100.0
Greece  1.2  100.0  100.0
Hungary  0.5  52.3  47.7  100.0
Italy e  21.1  14.2  85.8  100.0
Luxembourg  1.9  100.0  100.0
Netherlands  4.7  100.0  100.0
Poland  6.4  48.8  51.2  100.0
Portugal  2.0  100.0  100.0
Romania e  1.6  53.2  46.8  100.0
Slovakia e  4.4  90.0  10.0  100.0
Slovenia  0.5  100.0  100.0
Spain  11.4  28.1  71.9  100.0
Sweden  4.3  68.6  31.4  100.0
European Union (27)  126.3  55.2  44.8  100.0
Türkiye  33.7  28.4  71.6  100.0
United Kingdom  5.6  79.6  20.4  100.0
Others e  4.3  41.0  59.0  100.0
Other Europe  43.6  36.2  63.8  100.0
Russia e  76.0  65.1  32.0  2.9  100.0
Ukraine  6.2  48.1  12.3  39.6  100.0
Other CIS e  8.2  46.9  51.6  1.6  100.0
Russia & Other CIS + Ukraine  90.5  62.2  32.4  5.3  100.0
Canada  12.2  58.2  41.8  100.0
Mexico  16.2  6.6  93.4  100.0
United States e  81.4  31.7  68.3  100.0
Other North America e  0.5  100.0  100.0
North America  110.2  30.8  69.2  100.0
Argentina  4.9  42.9  57.1  100.0
Brazil  31.8  76.2  22.5  1.3  100.0
Chile  1.2  61.5  38.5  100.0
Venezuela  0.0  100.0  100.0
Other South America e  3.6  6.8  93.2  100.0
South America  41.6  65.7  33.3  1.0  100.0
Egypt  10.4  100.0  100.0
South Africa e  4.9  56.8  43.2  100.0
Other Africa e  9.0  4.4  95.5  0.1  100.0
Africa  24.2  13.1  86.9  0.0  100.0
Iran e  31.0  7.9  92.1  100.0
Saudi Arabia  9.9  100.0  100.0
Other Middle East e  13.5  100.0  100.0
Middle East  54.5  4.5  95.5  100.0
China e 1 019.1  90.1  9.9  100.0
India  140.8  43.6  56.4  100.0
Japan  87.0  73.8  26.2  100.0
South Korea  66.7  70.5  29.5  100.0
Taiwan, China  19.1  59.2  40.8  100.0
Other Asia e  62.6  48.8  51.2  100.0
Asia 1 395.2  81.2  18.8  100.0
Australia  5.5  73.2  26.8  100.0
New Zealand  0.6  100.0  100.0
Total of above countries 1 892.2  71.1  28.6  0.3  100.0

The countries in this table accounted for approximately 100% of world crude steel production in 2023.

e – estimate

Continuously-cast steel output
2021 to 2023

Million tonnes % Crude steel output
2021 2022 2023 2021 2022 2023
Austria e  7.6  7.2  6.9  96.4  96.4  96.7
Belgium  6.9  7.0  5.9  100.0  100.0  100.0
Bulgaria  0.5  0.5  0.5  100.0  100.0  100.0
Croatia  0.2  0.2  0.2  100.0  100.0  100.0
Czechia  4.7  4.2  3.3  96.5  97.5  97.7
Finland  4.3  3.5  3.8  99.6  99.5  99.5
France e  13.6  11.8  9.7  97.5  97.5  97.0
Germany e  39.2  35.9  34.5  97.5  97.5  97.4
Greece  1.5  1.5  1.2  100.0  100.0  100.0
Hungary  1.1  0.9  0.5  100.0  100.0  100.0
Italy e  23.2  20.5  20.0  95.2  94.9  95.0
Luxembourg  2.1  1.9  1.9  100.0  100.0  100.0
Netherlands  6.6  6.1  4.7  100.0  100.0  100.0
Poland  8.3  7.3  6.3  98.4  98.3  98.4
Portugal  2.0  1.9  2.0  100.0  100.0  100.0
Romania e  3.3  2.6  1.6  97.8  97.3  96.5
Slovakia  4.9  3.9  4.4  100.0  100.0  100.0
Slovenia  0.5  0.5  0.4  81.6  80.9  79.5
Spain  14.0  11.4  11.3  98.6  98.2  98.9
Sweden 1 e  4.1  3.9  3.9  87.2  87.5  91.6
European Union (27)  148.6  132.6  122.9  97.3  97.2  97.3
Türkiye  40.4  35.1  33.7  100.0  100.0  100.0
United Kingdom  7.2  5.9  5.6  99.5  99.5  99.3
Others e  4.7  4.7  4.3  99.9  105.0  99.9
Other Europe  52.2  45.8  43.5  99.9  100.4  99.9
Russia e  49.6  47.5  49.0  64.4  66.1  64.4
Ukraine  14.1  4.7  3.7  66.2  75.2  59.2
Other CIS e  9.0  8.2  8.1  99.3  99.4  99.2
Russia & Other CIS + Ukraine  72.7  60.4  60.8  67.7  70.0  67.2
Canada  10.1  10.9  11.0  78.1  90.2  90.1
Mexico  18.5  18.4  16.2  100.0  100.0  100.0
United States  85.6  80.3  81.1  99.8  99.7  99.7
Other North America e  0.6  0.6  0.5  100.0  100.0  100.0
North America  114.8  110.2  108.8  97.4  98.7  98.7
Argentina  4.9  5.1  4.9  99.7  99.7  99.7
Brazil  35.3  33.3  31.3  97.8  97.6  98.4
Chile  1.3  1.2  1.2  100.0  100.0  100.0
Venezuela  0.0  0.0  0.0  100.0  100.0  100.0
Other South America e  3.3  3.7  3.6  100.0  100.0  100.0
South America  44.8  43.2  41.0  98.2  98.1  98.7
Egypt  10.3  9.8  10.4  100.0  100.0  100.0
South Africa  5.0  4.4  4.9  100.0  100.0  100.0
Other Africa e  7.5  8.8  9.0  99.9  99.9  99.9
Africa  22.8  23.0  24.2  100.0  100.0  100.0
Iran  28.3  30.6  31.0  100.0  100.0  100.0
Saudi Arabia  8.7  9.9  9.9  100.0  100.0  100.0
Other Middle East e  12.7  13.8  13.5  99.6  100.0  100.0
Middle East  49.7  54.2  54.5  99.9  100.0  100.0
China e 1 019.0 1 002.9 1 002.9  98.4  98.4  98.4
India  110.2  117.8  132.1  93.2  93.9  93.9
Japan e  95.4  88.4  86.2  99.0  99.0  99.1
South Korea  69.4  64.7  65.4  98.6  98.2  98.1
Taiwan, China  23.1  20.8  19.1  99.6  100.0  100.0
Other Asia e  63.6  61.9  61.9  99.0  98.9  98.9
Asia 1 380.7 1 356.4 1 367.7  98.1  98.1  98.0
Australia  5.8  5.6  5.5  100.0  100.0  100.0
New Zealand  0.6  0.6  0.6  100.0  100.0  100.0
Total of above countries 1 892.9 1 831.9 1 829.6  96.4  96.9  96.7

The countries in this table accounted for approximately 100% of world crude steel production in 2023.

e – estimate

1 – Continuously-cast steel includes steel powders

Monthly crude steel production
2020 to 2023

million tonnes

Total 71 reporting countries*

million tonnes

North America

European Union (27)

South America

Russia and Other CIS (2) + Ukraine

Japan

* The 71 reporting countries:
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Czechia, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen

In 2023, these 71 countries accounted for approximately 98% of world crude steel production.

China

Steel production and use: geographical distribution, 2013

Others comprise:

Africa 1.0% South America 2.8%
Middle East 1.7% Australia and New Zealand 0.3%

Others comprise:

Africa 2.4% South America 3.1%
Middle East 3.4% Australia and New Zealand 0.4%

 

Steel production and use: geographical distribution, 2023

Others comprise:

Africa 1.3% South America 2.2%
Middle East 2.9% Australia and New Zealand 0.3%

Others comprise:

Africa 2.0% South America 2.3%
Middle East 3.1% Australia and New Zealand 0.4%

Apparent steel use
2019 to 2023

million tonnes, finished steel products

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Austria  4.0  3.6  4.5  4.1  3.2
Belgium-Luxembourg  3.4  3.0  4.8  4.5  2.7
Czechia  6.7  6.3  7.9  6.6  5.6
France  14.6  12.2  13.8  11.8  10.0
Germany  35.1  31.3  35.5  32.5  28.0
Italy  25.1  20.4  26.5  25.1  23.5
Netherlands  4.6  4.1  4.7  4.8  4.6
Poland  13.6  12.9  15.3  13.2  11.8
Romania  4.5  4.1  4.4  4.3  4.1
Spain  13.2  11.7  13.0  12.5  12.7
Sweden  3.8  3.1  3.8  3.5  3.3
Other EU (27)  19.1  18.0  19.9  19.6  18.2
European Union (27)  147.8  130.9  154.1  142.6  127.6
Türkiye  26.1  29.5  33.4  32.5  38.1
United Kingdom  10.2  8.4  11.0  9.4  9.1
Others  6.8  6.5  6.8  6.5  6.2
Other Europe  43.1  44.3  51.2  48.4  53.4
Russia  43.5  42.3  43.9  41.7  44.6
Ukraine  4.7  4.6  4.8  2.2  3.4
Other CIS  10.1  10.7  10.0  7.7  8.1
Russia & other CIS + Ukraine  58.3  57.6  58.7  51.6  56.1
Canada  13.0  13.7  14.5  13.5  12.7
Mexico  24.4  21.9  25.5  25.0  28.5
United States  97.7  80.0  97.1  94.5  90.5
Other North America  4.5  3.6  4.8  4.1  4.5
North America  139.5  119.2  141.8  137.1  136.3
Argentina  3.9  3.6  5.0  5.1  5.0
Brazil  21.0  21.4  26.3  23.5  23.9
Venezuela  0.1  0.1  0.1  0.2  0.2
Other South America  12.6  10.3  14.6  12.4  12.1
South America  37.6  35.4  46.1  41.2  41.1
Egypt  10.4  9.7  10.2  11.1  9.3
South Africa  4.8  3.8  5.0  4.3  4.5
Other Africa  26.0  23.2  24.0  20.2  21.2
Africa  41.1  36.7  39.2  35.6  35.0
Iran  18.5  17.2  18.2  19.1  19.5
Other Middle East  32.5  30.9  33.4  36.1  35.4
Middle East  51.0  48.1  51.6  55.1  54.9
China  911.9 1 008.7  954.4  926.7  895.7
India  102.6  89.3  106.2  116.1  133.4
Japan  63.2  52.6  57.4  55.0  53.3
South Korea  53.2  49.2  56.0  51.3  54.7
Taiwan, China  17.6  18.8  21.1  17.7  17.4
Other Asia  105.7  93.5  98.5  97.2  97.1
Asia 1 254.3 1 312.2 1 293.7 1 264.1 1 251.6
Oceania  6.6  6.1  7.3  7.3  6.9
World 1 779.3 1 790.4 1 843.7 1 783.0 1 763.0

(e) = estimate

Apparent steel use per capita
2019 to 2023

kilograms, finished steel products

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Austria  448.2  409.7  504.0  459.0  356.5
Belgium-Luxembourg  281.3  243.7  392.8  362.7  219.4
Czechia  637.1  599.2  754.2  631.1  534.1
France  226.1  189.4  213.7  183.3  153.7
Germany  422.6  376.1  425.7  389.7  336.5
Italy  419.8  343.1  447.3  425.8  399.6
Netherlands  265.8  237.6  269.9  275.0  260.5
Poland  354.2  336.0  398.3  332.4  287.5
Romania  232.5  212.2  226.0  217.9  206.5
Spain  280.9  246.8  274.0  262.8  266.2
Sweden  370.1  302.3  361.2  330.4  308.2
Other EU (27)  259.4  245.0  271.9  266.4  247.6
European Union (27)  332.0  293.9  346.1  318.7  284.3
Türkiye  312.4  350.4  393.7  380.8  443.8
United Kingdom  152.1  125.1  163.8  139.4  135.0
Others  209.0  198.2  209.6  199.9  190.1
Other Europe  235.4  241.2  277.5  261.2  287.0
Russia  298.6  290.6  302.7  288.3  309.1
Ukraine  105.3  104.8  109.4  55.1  92.0
Other CIS  98.0  102.1  95.2  72.4  74.7
Russia & other CIS + Ukraine  198.8  195.9  199.7  177.4  193.9
Canada  345.8  361.4  379.2  351.6  328.0
Mexico  195.3  173.6  201.2  195.9  221.8
United States  292.1  238.3  288.1  279.4  266.3
Other North America  47.7  37.9  49.9  42.7  46.9
North America  236.2  200.5  237.4  228.4  225.6
Argentina  87.6  79.8  111.2  111.7  108.9
Brazil  99.0  100.6  122.9  109.3  110.3
Venezuela  4.5  3.2  3.4  5.6  6.7
Other South America  88.3  70.8  100.0  83.9  81.2
South America  87.9  82.0  106.2  94.2  93.5
Egypt  98.0  90.2  93.4  100.3  82.6
South Africa  81.8  63.8  84.2  72.0  74.5
Other Africa  22.4  19.5  19.6  16.1  16.5
Africa  31.0  27.0  28.2  25.0  24.0
Iran  213.6  197.1  207.4  215.4  219.2
Other Middle East  179.2  167.3  178.6  189.6  182.3
Middle East  190.3  176.9  187.8  197.8  193.9
China  641.3  707.9  669.3  649.9  628.3
India  74.2  64.0  75.5  82.0  93.4
Japan  502.5  420.2  460.7  443.6  432.5
South Korea 1 027.5  948.9 1 081.2  990.0 1 056.6
Taiwan, China  740.8  788.9  886.1  741.0  725.9
Other Asia  89.7  78.3  81.6  79.6  78.7
Asia  299.7  311.3  305.0  296.5  291.9
Oceania  152.5  139.8  164.1  162.3  151.8
World 229.2 228.4 233.2 223.7 219.3

Pig iron
2022 and 2023

million tonnes

Production
2022
Production
2023
– Exports
2023
+ Imports
2023
= Apparent Consumption
2023
Austria   5.8   5.5   0.0   0.0   5.5
Belgium-Luxembourg   4.4   3.6   0.0   0.1   3.7
Czechia   3.4   2.7   0.0   0.1   2.7
Finland   1.9   2.2   0.0   0.0   2.2
France   8.2   6.2   0.1   0.1   6.2
Germany   23.9   23.6   0.2   0.2   23.6
Hungary   0.5   0.2   0.0   0.0   0.2
Italy   3.5   3.1   0.0   1.6   4.6
Netherlands   5.5   4.1   0.3   0.4   4.2
Poland   3.1   2.7   0.1   0.2   2.8
Romania   1.5   0.6   0.0   0.0   0.6
Spain   3.4   3.0   0.0   0.2   3.3
Sweden   2.8   2.9   0.0   0.0   3.0
Other EU (27) e   3.2   3.6   0.1   0.2   3.7
European Union (27)   70.9   64.1   0.9   3.2   66.4
Türkiye   9.1   8.7   0.1   1.4   10.0
United Kingdom   4.8   4.5   0.0   0.0   4.5
Others   1.9   1.8 e   0.0   0.0   1.7
Other Europe   15.8   15.0   0.1   1.4   16.3
Kazakhstan   2.9   2.7 e   0.0   0.0   2.7
Russia   51.6   54.6 e   3.4   0.0   51.2
Ukraine   6.4   6.0   1.2   0.0   4.8
Other CIS   0.0   0.0 e   0.0   0.0   0.0
Russia & other CIS + Ukraine   60.9   63.3   4.7   0.0   58.7
Canada   5.8   5.8   0.1   0.0   5.8
Mexico   2.5   1.0   0.0   0.2   1.2
United States   20.0   20.6   0.0   4.4   25.0
Other North America   0.0   0.0 e   0.0   0.0   0.0
North America   28.3   27.4   0.1   4.5   31.9
Argentina   2.1   2.0   0.0   0.1   2.0
Brazil   26.8   25.7   3.9   0.0   21.8
Chile   0.6   0.6   0.0   0.0   0.6
Other South America   0.3   0.3 e   0.0   0.2   0.4
South America   29.7   28.5   3.9   0.2   24.9
South Africa   2.4   2.9   0.7   0.0   2.3
Other Africa   0.0   0.0 e   0.0   0.0   0.0
Africa   2.7   3.2   0.7   0.1   2.7
Iran   3.5   3.5 e   0.2   0.0   3.4
Other Middle East   0.0   0.0 e   0.0   0.0   0.0
Middle East   3.5   3.5   0.9   0.3   3.0
China   863.8   871.0   0.0   0.4   871.4
India   79.9   86.3   0.4   0.3   86.2
Japan   64.1   63.0   0.1   0.0   63.0
South Korea   42.7   45.2   0.1   0.3   45.4
Taiwan, China   13.4   12.2   0.0   0.4   12.6
Other Asia   20.6   21.9 e   0.2   0.6   22.3
Asia  1 084.6  1 099.7   0.8   2.1  1 100.9
Australia   3.7   3.5   0.0   0.0   3.5
New Zealand   0.6   0.6   0.0   0.0   0.6
Other Oceania   –   –   –   0.0 0.0
Oceania   4.3   4.1   0.1   0.0   4.0
World  1 300.7  1 309.0   12.1   11.9  1 308.7

(e) = estimate

Direct reduced iron production
2019 to 2023

million tonnes

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Germany   0.5   0.5   0.5   0.2   0.2 e
Sweden   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1 e   0.1 e
European Union (27)   0.6   0.6   0.6   0.3   0.3
Russia   8.0   7.8   7.8   7.7   7.8
Canada   1.4   1.2   1.6   1.5   1.6
Mexico   6.0   5.2   5.8   5.8   5.9
Trinidad and Tobago   1.7   1.3   1.6   1.4   1.4 e
United States   3.2   3.4   5.0   5.2   5.2 e
North America   12.4   11.0   14.1   14.0   14.1
Argentina   1.1   0.5   1.4   1.4   1.5
Venezuela   1.0   0.9   0.8   0.3   0.3
South America   2.1   1.4   2.2   1.7   1.7
Algeria   1.5   2.2   3.1   3.9   4.0 e
Egypt   4.4   4.8   5.4   6.0   7.2
Kenya e   0.1   0.1   0.3 e   0.3 e
Libya   0.9   0.8   0.9   1.1   1.6
South Africa e   0.7   0.2   0.2   0.2   0.2
Zambia e   0.1   0.1   0.1   0.1 e   0.1 e
Africa   7.6   8.2   9.7   11.5   13.4
Bahrain   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.4   1.6
Iran   28.5   30.8   31.6   32.9   33.4
Oman   1.8   1.7   1.7   1.8   1.8 e
Qatar   2.4   0.8   0.8   1.6   1.7
Saudi Arabia   5.8   5.2   6.1   6.7   6.8
United Arab Emirates   3.7   3.0   3.7   3.4   3.6
Middle East   43.6   42.8   45.4   47.9   49.0
India   36.8   33.6   39.0   42.3   49.6
Malaysia   0.6   0.7   0.4   0.8   0.7 e
Asia   37.5   34.4   39.4   43.1   50.3
World   111.8   106.3   119.2   126.2   136.5

(e) = estimate

Iron ore
2022

million tonnes, actual weight

Production – Exports + Imports = = Apparent Consumption
Austria   3.3   0.0   1.4   4.7
Belgium-Luxembourg   0.0   0.2   7.4   7.2
Czechia   0.0   0.0   4.9   4.9
France   0.0   0.0   12.4   12.3
Germany   0.8   1.5   37.5   36.8
Italy   0.0   0.0   5.1   5.1
Netherlands   0.0   18.4   25.7   7.3
Poland   0.0   0.1   4.9   4.8
Romania   0.0   0.2   2.0   1.9
Slovakia   0.0   0.0   4.9   4.8
Spain   0.0   0.1   4.8   4.6
Sweden   28.1   23.7   0.0   4.4
Other EU (27)   0.0   0.2   3.6   3.5
European Union (27)   32.2   44.3   114.4   102.3
Bosnia-Herzegovina   1.3   0.0   0.0   1.3
Norway   1.7   1.8   0.0   0.0
Türkiye   5.5   2.7   9.6   12.3
United Kingdom   0.0   0.0   6.4   6.4
Others   0.0   0.1   1.8   1.7
Other Europe   8.5   4.6   17.7   21.7
Russia & other CIS + Ukraine   174.8   44.1   0.0   130.7
Canada   69.0   53.7   7.8   23.0
Mexico   29.9   2.4   2.2   29.7
United States   46.0   11.4   4.9   39.6
Other North America   0.0   0.3   1.7   1.3
North America   144.9   67.8   16.6   93.6
Brazil   420.0   346.2   0.2   74.1
Chile   17.1   16.2   0.3   1.3
Peru   17.0   4.7   0.0   12.3
Venezuela   2.4   0.9   0.0   1.5
Other South America 0.4 0.3 6.6   6.7
South America   456.9   368.2   7.2   95.9
Liberia   4.4   4.5   0.0 –  0.1
Mauritania   14.0   12.0   0.0   2.0
South Africa   66.3   58.3   0.0   8.0
Other Africa   22.4   7.0   9.9   25.3
Africa   107.1   81.8   9.9   35.2
Middle East   57.5   15.4   31.7   73.9
China 1   252.6   22.3  1 107.8  1 338.0
India   247.8   16.0   2.0   233.9
Japan   0.0   0.0   104.2   104.2
South Korea   1.1   0.3   66.4   67.2
Other Asia   24.4   35.9   81.6   70.2
Asia   526.0   74.5  1 362.1  1 813.5
Australia   944.1   888.0   1.0   57.1
New Zealand and Other Oceania   3.8   0.0   0.0   3.8
Oceania   947.9   888.0   1.0   60.9
World  2 455.7  1 588.8  1 560.7  2 427.7

1 Production adjusted so that Fe content is similar to world average.

World trade in iron ore by area
2023

million tonnes

* Excluding intra-regional trade marked      

Trade in ferrous scrap
2022 and 2023

million tonnes

Exports Imports
2022 2023 2022 2023
Austria   1.2   1.2   1.1   1.1
Belgium   3.9   3.8   4.5   4.0
Bulgaria   0.5   0.5   0.2   0.2
Czechia   2.2   2.5   0.5   0.4
Finland   0.6   0.7   0.2   0.1
France   6.3   6.3   1.4   1.2
Germany   7.2   7.5   4.2   3.2
Greece   0.2   0.1   0.9   0.6
Italy   0.8   0.9   5.2   5.8
Netherlands   6.7   7.1   3.8   3.5
Poland   2.2   2.6   0.8   0.9
Slovakia   0.9   0.7   0.2   0.2
Spain   0.9   0.7   3.0   3.1
Sweden   1.4   1.8   0.2   0.2
Other EU   8.3   8.4   5.6   5.4
European Union (27)   43.5   44.7   31.8   30.0
Türkiye   0.2   0.2   21.1   18.8
United Kingdom   8.2   7.2   0.2   0.3
Others   1.8   2.0   1.0   1.0
Other Europe   10.2   9.4   22.3   20.1
Kazakhstan   0.1   0.0   0.0   0.0
Russia   1.0   0.9   0.0   0.0
Ukraine   0.1   0.2   0.0   0.0
Other CIS 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2
Russia & other CIS + Ukraine   1.4   1.2   0.1   0.2
Canada   4.7   4.8   1.1   0.8
Mexico   0.8   1.0   2.9   2.8
United States   17.5   16.3   4.7   5.1
Other North America   1.0   1.0   0.0   0.0
North America   24.0   23.0   8.8   8.7
Brazil   0.4   1.1   0.0   0.0
Other South America   1.9   1.6   1.2   0.9
South America   2.2   2.6   1.2   0.9
South Africa   0.5   0.2   0.1   0.0
Other Africa   1.3   1.4   0.9   3.0
Africa   1.8   1.5   0.9   3.0
Middle East   3.6   3.2   0.6   0.6
China   0.0   0.0   0.6   0.5
Japan   6.3   6.9   0.1   0.1
South Korea   0.3   0.4   4.7   3.8
Taiwan, China   0.1   0.1   2.9   3.4
Other Asia   3.1   3.9   22.9   25.5
Asia   9.8   11.3   31.1   33.3
Oceania   2.4   2.2   0.2   0.1
World   98.9   99.1   97.0   97.0

World trade in ferrous scrap by area 2023

million tonnes

* Excluding intra-regional trade marked      

World steel trade in products
1975 to 2023

exports
1975 114.7
1976 126.1
1977 127.9
1978 138.6
1979 143.1
1980 140.6
1981 142.8
1982 135.5
1983 145.3
1984 158.8
1985 171.0
1986 161.7
1987 162.3
1988 171.1
1989 171.2
1990 171.0
1991 177.1
1992 196.1
1993 222.5
1994 238.6
1995 246.6
1996 236.4
1997 267.9
1998 268.7
1999 280.8
2000 307.5
2001 300.5
2002 318.0
2003 333.6
2004 368.3
2005 373.3
2006 418.5
2007 446.8
2008 438.5
2009 330.1
2010 392.7
2011 418.7
2012 416.0
2013 412.6
2014 457.4
2015 467.4
2016 476.8
2017 462.9
2018 457.2
2019 438.8
2020 405.6
2021 459.1
2022 403.0
2023 434.2

Exports are of finished and semi-finished steel products. Production of finished steel, where not available from national sources, is calculated from crude steel production, taking into account the continuous casting ratio.

Year Exports Production Exports %
1975   114.7   506.9   22.6
1980   140.6   578.7   24.3
1985   171.0   599.0   28.5
1990   171.0   654.0   26.2
1991   177.1   660.0   26.8
1992   196.1   658.0   29.8
1993   222.5   664.9   33.5
1994   238.6   656.2   36.4
1995   246.6   685.6   36.0
1996   236.4   687.1   34.4
1997   267.9   730.1   36.7
1998   268.7   713.4   37.7
1999   280.8   725.8   38.7
2000   307.5   783.6   39.2
2001   300.5   785.9   38.2
2002   318.0   837.1   38.0
2003   333.6   899.1   37.1
2004   368.3   985.6   37.4
2005   373.3  1 065.5   35.0
2006   418.5  1 161.3   36.0
2007   446.8  1 255.4   35.6
2008   438.5  1 250.4   35.1
2009   330.1  1 155.9   28.6
2010   392.7  1 337.6   29.4
2011   418.7  1 435.4   29.2
2012   416.0  1 458.9   28.5
2013   412.6  1 543.1   26.7
2014   457.4  1 563.4   29.3
2015   467.4  1 516.2   30.8
2016   476.8  1 523.9   31.3
2017   462.9  1 621.0   28.6
2018   457.2  1 704.2   26.8
2019   438.8  1 748.9   25.1
2020   405.6  1 755.8   23.1
2021   459.1  1 826.3   25.1
2022   403.0  1 759.6   22.9
2023   434.7  1 761.4   24.7

 

World volume of trade 2000 to 2023

all commodities steel-containing manufactured goods steel
2000 100.0 100.0 100.0
2001 96.2 103.2 97.7
2002 100.9 110.0 103.4
2003 117.7 116.9 108.5
2004 142.4 131.0 119.8
2005 161.9 145.8 121.4
2006 186.5 156.8 136.1
2007 216.0 168.4 145.3
2008 250.6 175.0 142.6
2009 191.1 134.4 107.4
2010 234.5 165.7 127.7
2011 280.2 187.4 136.2
2012 282.8 187.0 135.3
2013 288.6 184.0 134.2
2014 290.4 187.1 148.8
2015 253.8 185.9 152.0
2016 247.1 191.1 155.1
2017 272.6 197.3 150.5
2018 299.8 202.5 148.7
2019 291.5 207.5 142.7
2020 269.5 131.9
2021 342.1 149.3
2022 382.7 131.1
2023 364.7 141.2

World steel exports by product
2019 to 2023

million tonnes

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Ingots and semi-finished material   56.1   55.7   61.1   44.6   53.2
Railway track material   4.9   2.6   2.8   2.6   2.9
Angles, shapes and sections   21.5   19.6   20.3   19.0   20.1
Concrete re-inforcing bars   19.1   19.2   22.0   15.4   15.5
Bars and rods, hot-rolled   15.2   12.8   15.3   12.7   12.2
Wire rod   26.8   25.2   29.0   25.5   22.6
Drawn wire   8.8   8.7   9.6   8.6   9.6
Other bars and rods   5.6   4.5   6.1   7.4   8.6
Hot-rolled strip   3.2   2.8   3.4   3.0   3.1
Cold-rolled strip   4.0   3.7   4.8   4.1   4.0
Hot-rolled sheets and coils   78.4   74.6   79.3   68.0   75.6
Plates   32.8   29.4   30.9   32.2   35.2
Cold-rolled sheets and coils   32.5   19.0   36.7   30.8   30.3
Electrical sheet and strip   4.1   3.9   5.1   5.2   4.5
Tinmill products   6.9   7.0   6.8   6.9   5.9
Galvanised sheet   43.0   37.0   45.3   38.4   41.0
Other coated sheet   18.2   18.1   20.2   16.5   18.4
Steel tubes and fittings   40.9   32.3   34.3   34.2   36.5
Wheels (forged and rolled) and axles   0.8   0.7   0.9   0.8   1.0
Castings   1.3   1.1   1.4   1.5   1.4
Forgings   1.0   0.9   1.0   1.1   1.1
Total 425.2 378.8 436.3 378.4 402.8

Exports data is reported by countries and therefore includes for example intra-EU trade, trade between USMCA countries, etc.

The figures are based on a broad definition of the steel industry and its products, including ingots, semi-finished products, hot-rolled and cold-finished products, tubes, wire, and unworked castings and forgings.

The above table comprises the exports of 62 countries, which represents approximately 95.5 per cent of total world trade in 2023.

World trade in steel by area
2023

million tonnes

* Excluding intra-regional trade marked      

Major importers and exporters of steel 2023

million tonnes

Rank Total exports Mt
1 China 94.3
2 Japan 32.2
3 South Korea 27.0
4 European Union (27) 1 26.0
5 Germany 2 22.5
6 Italy 2 16.1
7 Belgium 2 14.6
8 Russia 13.9
9 Türkiye 12.7
10 Brazil 12.3
11 Iran 11.9
12 Netherlands 2 11.8
13 France 2 9.9
14 India 9.9
15 Indonesia 9.6
16 Taiwan, China 9.5
17 United States 8.9
18 Viet Nam 8.6
19 Spain 2 7.8
20 Malaysia 7.6
Rank Total imports Mt
1 European Union (27) 1 39.2
2 United States 26.4
3 Germany 2 18.7
4 Italy 2 18.7
5 Türkiye 18.0
6 Mexico 17.5
7 South Korea 15.0
8 Viet Nam 14.0
9 Thailand 13.7
10 Indonesia 12.4
11 France 2 11.8
12 Belgium 2 11.6
13 Poland 2 11.6
14 China 11.0
15 Spain 2 10.2
16 India 9.8
17 Netherlands 2 9.0
18 Canada 8.6
19 Taiwan, China 7.5
20 Malaysia 7.1
Rank Net exports
(exports – imports)
Mt
1 China 83.2
2 Japan 26.3
3 Russia 12.7
4 South Korea 12.0
5 Iran 10.2
6 Brazil 7.3
7 Oman 3.8
8 Germany 2 3.8
9 Austria 2 3.6
10 Belgium 2 3.0
11 Netherlands 2 2.8
12 Ukraine 2.2
13 Taiwan, China 2.0
14 Slovakia 2 1.5
15 Luxembourg 2 1.5
Rank Net imports
(imports – exports)
Mt
1 European Union (27) 1 22.0
2 United States 17.6
3 Egypt 15.2
4 Mexico 14.4
5 Thailand 12.0
6 Philippines 6.9
7 Poland 2 6.5
8 Viet Nam 5.4
9 Türkiye 5.2
10 United Arab Emirates 4.5
11 Iraq 4.4
12 Saudi Arabia 3.4
13 Indonesia 2.8
14 Czechia 2 2.7
15 Singapore 2.7

1 Excluding intra-regional trade
2 Data for individual European Union (27) countries include intra-European trade

Indirect trade in steel
2000 to 2019

million tonnes, finished steel equivalent

Year Indirect Exports, Mt
2000 172.1
2001 178.1
2002 187.8
2003 199.1
2004 224.0
2005 249.2
2006 269.5
2007 292.4
2008 303.6
2009 231.4
2010 285.4
2011 323.8
2012 324.1
2013 319.1
2014 324.5
2015 322.4
2016 329.8
2017 341.5
2018 354.6
2019 358.9

An explanation of the methodology of indirect trade in steel can be found in the report ‘Indirect Trade in Steel (March 2015)’ at worldsteel.org/publications/bookshop/indirect-trade.
Last updated in May 2021.

Indirect trade in steel takes place through exports and imports of steel containing goods and is expressed in finished steel equivalent of products used.

Further explanation on definitions and methodology of indirect trade in steel can be found in the report ‘Indirect Trade in Steel
(March 2015)’.

True steel use
2015 to 2019

million tonnes, finished steel equivalent

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
France  17.1  18.4  19.0  19.1  19.7
Germany  28.8  31.0  30.3  28.4  27.9
Italy  18.8  18.5  19.5  20.2  20.2
Spain  10.8  10.3  11.0  11.6  12.3
European Union (27)  126.8  132.3  136.8  143.8  139.7
Türkiye  32.5  32.1  33.5  26.7  20.7
United Kingdom  16.5  17.1  16.9  16.8  16.2
Other Europe  56.7  57.0  58.3  51.7  45.0
Russia  43.8  43.5  46.9  47.1  49.8
Russia & Other CIS + Ukraine  52.0  52.7  57.7  58.4  62.0
Canada  18.6  18.6  19.1  19.3  18.2
Mexico  20.2  20.1  22.7  21.1  15.2
United States  118.9  115.4  122.2  127.1  125.7
USMCA  157.8  154.1  164.0  167.5  159.2
Brazil  22.6  19.2  19.4  21.2  21.3
Central and South America  47.0  39.9  41.9  42.5  41.5
Africa and Middle East  89.4  84.5  82.3  79.9  81.8
China  611.7  620.5  706.2  761.5  825.5
Japan  48.3  46.9  50.3  51.5  49.4
South Korea  39.7  41.6  41.7  41.3  40.5
Asia and Oceania  880.3  904.1  996.5 1 066.4 1 130.1
Total 1 1 410.0 1 424.7 1 537.6 1 610.3 1 659.2

1 The total comprises 74 countries.

True steel use (TSU) is obtained by subtracting net indirect exports of steel from apparent steel use (ASU). Total TSU is not equal to ASU because of differences in country coverage and methodological specifics of indirect trade in steel calculations.

Major indirect importers and exporters of steel, 2019

million tonnes, finished steel equivalent

Rank Indirect Exports Mt
1 China 95.8
2 Germany* 32.9
3 Japan 21.7
4 United States 20.9
5 South Korea 17.9
6 Mexico 17.2
7 Italy* 13.3
8 Poland* 9.9
9 Spain* 9.5
10 Türkiye 8.6
Rank Indirect Imports Mt
1 United States 49.0
2 Germany* 25.7
3 France* 13.8
4 United Kingdom 11.9
5 Canada 11.6
6 China 9.4
7 Belgium-Luxembourg* 8.8
8 Russia 8.8
9 Spain* 8.5
10 Italy* 8.5
Rank Net Indirect Exports
(exports-imports)
Mt
1 China 86.4
2 Japan 13.9
3 South Korea 12.7
4 Mexico 9.1
5 Germany* 7.2
Rank Net Indirect Imports
(imports-exports)
Mt
1 United States 28.1
2 Russia 6.3
3 United Kingdom 6.0
4 Canada 5.2
5 France* 5.1

* – Data for individual European Union (27) countries include intra-European trade

Apparent and true steel use per capita, 2019

2019 True steel use per capita Apparent steel use per capita
Brazil 101 99
Mexico 119 191
United Kingdom 240 152
Turkey 248 313
Spain 263 283
France 302 224
Italy 333 413
Germany 334 421
Russia 341 298
United States 382 297
Japan 389 498
Canada 487 347
China 576 636
South Korea 790 1039

Steel use by sector

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Notation used in this publication:

e indicates a figure that has been estimated.
0.0 indicates that the quantity concerned is less than 0.05.
indicates zero or no data.