India's crude steel production demonstrated robust growth during the first nine months of 2026, rising 5.6% year-on-year to 130 million tonnes according to the World Steel Association. The world's second-largest steel producer recorded a 1.9% increase to 13.9 million tonnes in September compared with the same month last year. This strong performance comes as India continues to strengthen its position in the global steel market despite challenging global conditions.
Global crude steel production across 70 reporting countries declined 0.7% to 1.367.5 million tonnes during January-September 2026, as reported by the World Steel Association. September output specifically stood at 142.4 million tonnes, down 0.2% year-on-year. These countries accounted for approximately 98% of global crude steel production in 2025, highlighting the concentrated nature of global steel production capacity.
China, the world's largest steel producer, recorded a marginal 0.1% increase to 73.6 million tonnes in September but experienced a 2.9% decline to 724.8 million tonnes during January-September. The US showed strong growth with a 4.3% increase to 7.2 million tonnes in September and 5.8% rise to 64.9 million tonnes for the nine-month period. Russia's September production increased 6.2% to 5.5 million tonnes, while Japan's output declined 0.6% to 6.3 million tonnes. Germany recorded a significant 13% decline to 2.6 million tonnes in September, though its cumulative January-September total was 4% higher at 26.5 million tonnes compared to the previous year.
Asia and Oceania, which account for the bulk of global production, recorded a 0.7% increase to 104 million tonnes in September but experienced a 0.9% decline to 1.01 billion tonnes during January-September. The European Union's crude steel production fell 5% year-on-year to 10.1 million tonnes in September, while the Middle East saw a dramatic 20.4% drop to 3.6 million tonnes. North America recorded a 3.4% increase to 9.3 million tonnes during the month, and Africa's production rose 10.6% to 2.2 million tonnes. For the January-September period, North America's output increased 4.7% to 84.7 million tonnes, while Africa recorded a 9.7% rise to 19 million tonnes.
