Analysis
January 23, 2026
Global steel output falls to 2-year low in December
Written by David Schollaert
The total amount of raw steel produced around the world slipped 0.4% from November to an estimated 139.6 million metric tons (mt) in December, according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. This marks the lowest monthly production in two years.
On a 12-month moving average (12MMA) basis through December, annual production has averaged 149.8 million mt per month over the last year, down 2.2% from the same period one year prior (see Figure 1). Up until September, annual output had generally hovered between 152 million and 154 million mt for nearly three years, similar to pre-pandemic levels.
