# List of countries by steel production

In 2023, total world crude steel production was nearly 1.9 billion tons (Gt). The biggest steel producing country is currently China, which accounted for 54% of world steel production in 2023. In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, China became the first country to produce over one billion tons of steel. In 2008, 2009, 2015 and 2016 output fell in the majority of steel-producing countries as a result of the global recession. In 2010 and 2017, it started to rise again. Crude steel production contracted in all regions in 2019 except in Asia and the Middle East. India is the 2nd leading producer of iron and steel industries.

## Steel production

This is a list of countries by steel production in 1967, 1980, 1990, 2000 and from 2007 to 2024, based on data provided by the World Steel Association. All countries with annual production of crude steel at least 2 million metric tons.

## Exports

net: exports - imports
Top steel exporters in 2018 :
| Rank | Country | Mt |
| 1 | China | 51.4 |
| 2 | Russia | 31.5 |
| 3 | Japan | 29.8 |
| 4 | South Korea | 27.6 |
| - | European Union | 22.6 |
| 5 | Germany | 21.2 |
| 6 | Turkey | 18.5 |
| 7 | India | 17.1 |
| 8 | Ukraine | 15.2 |
| 9 | Italy | 14.9 |
| 10 | Belgium | 12.9 |
| 11 | Brazil | 10.6 |
| 12 | France | 10.2 |
| 13 | Taiwan | 10.0 |
Top steel net exporters in 2018 :
| Rank | Country | Mt |
| 1 | Russia | 26.4 |
| 2 | Japan | 24.8 |
| 3 | South Korea | 16.1 |
| 4 | Ukraine | 13.9 |
| 5 | China | 13.5 |
| 6 | India | 12.1 |
| 7 | Brazil | 8.7 |
| 8 | Turkey | 6.0 |
| 9 | Egypt | 4.4 |
| 10 | Germany | 3.0 |

## Imports

Net: imports − exports
Top steel importers in 2018 :
| Rank | Country | Mt |
| 1 | China | 37.9 |
| - | European Union | 32.6 |
| 2 | United States | 19.9 |
| 3 | Germany | 18.2 |
| 4 | Italy | 15.5 |
| 5 | Vietnam | 13.6 |
| 6 | Turkey | 12.5 |
| 7 | France | 11.8 |
| 8 | South Korea | 11.5 |
| 9 | Poland | 10.8 |
| 10 | Belgium | 10.4 |
Top steel net importers in 2018 :
| Rank | Country | Mt |
| 1 | United States | 13.6 |
| - | European Union | 10.0 |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | 7.2 |
| 3 | Philippines | 6.6 |
| 4 | Vietnam | 6.6 |
| 5 | Poland | 5.6 |
| 6 | Indonesia | 4.2 |
| 7 | Israel | 3.3 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 2.5 |
| 9 | Uzbekistan | 2.5 |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | 2.4 |

## World steel production trend

Development of the worldwide production of steel in millions of tons.
| Year | Prod. |
| 1880 | 4.0 |
| 1900 | 28.3 |
| 1901 | 31.0 |
| 1902 | 34.5 |
| 1903 | 36.1 |
| 1904 | 36.3 |
| 1905 | 44.9 |
| 1906 | 51.2 |
| 1907 | 53.0 |
| 1908 | 41.4 |
| 1909 | 54.2 |
| 1910 | 60.3 |
| 1911 | 60.5 |
| 1912 | 72.8 |
| 1913 | 76.4 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 1914 | 60.4 |
| 1915 | 66.6 |
| 1916 | 78.2 |
| 1917 | 82.0 |
| 1918 | 77.2 |
| 1919 | 58.5 |
| 1920 | 72.5 |
| 1921 | 45.2 |
| 1922 | 68.8 |
| 1923 | 78.3 |
| 1924 | 78.5 |
| 1925 | 90.4 |
| 1926 | 93.4 |
| 1927 | 101.8 |
| 1928 | 110.0 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 1929 | 120.8 |
| 1930 | 95.1 |
| 1931 | 69.6 |
| 1932 | 50.7 |
| 1933 | 68.0 |
| 1934 | 82.4 |
| 1935 | 99.5 |
| 1936 | 124.3 |
| 1937 | 135.7 |
| 1938 | 110.0 |
| 1939 | 137.1 |
| 1940 | 140.6 |
| 1941 | 153.8 |
| 1942 | 151.4 |
| 1943 | 159.6 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 1944 | 151.2 |
| 1945 | 113.1 |
| 1946 | 111.6 |
| 1947 | 136.0 |
| 1948 | 155.3 |
| 1949 | 160.0 |
| 1950 | 191.6 |
| 1951 | 211.1 |
| 1952 | 211.6 |
| 1953 | 234.8 |
| 1954 | 223.8 |
| 1955 | 270.0 |
| 1956 | 283.5 |
| 1957 | 292.5 |
| 1958 | 274.3 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 1959 | 305.7 |
| 1960 | 346.4 |
| 1961 | 351.3 |
| 1962 | 360.1 |
| 1963 | 387.1 |
| 1964 | 433.4 |
| 1965 | 454.0 |
| 1966 | 472.7 |
| 1967 | 497.2 |
| 1968 | 529.8 |
| 1969 | 574.6 |
| 1970 | 595.4 |
| 1971 | 582.6 |
| 1972 | 630.7 |
| 1973 | 697.5 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 1974 | 703.8 |
| 1975 | 643.0 |
| 1976 | 675.5 |
| 1977 | 675.6 |
| 1978 | 717.2 |
| 1979 | 746.4 |
| 1980 | 716.4 |
| 1981 | 707.0 |
| 1982 | 645.0 |
| 1983 | 663.4 |
| 1984 | 710.3 |
| 1985 | 718.9 |
| 1986 | 714.0 |
| 1987 | 735.5 |
| 1988 | 780.1 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 1989 | 786.0 |
| 1990 | 770.4 |
| 1991 | 733.6 |
| 1992 | 719.7 |
| 1993 | 727.5 |
| 1994 | 725.1 |
| 1995 | 752.3 |
| 1996 | 750.1 |
| 1997 | 799.0 |
| 1998 | 777.3 |
| 1999 | 789.3 |
| 2000 | 850.1 |
| 2001 | 851.1 |
| 2002 | 904.2 |
| 2003 | 969.9 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 2004 | 1,071.4 |
| 2005 | 1,144.0 |
| 2006 | 1,247.1 |
| 2007 | 1,351.3 |
| 2008 | 1,326.5 |
| 2009 | 1,219.7 |
| 2010 | 1,413.6 |
| 2011 | 1,490.1 |
| 2012 | 1,552.9 |
| 2013 | 1,649.3 |
| 2014 | 1,670.1 |
| 2015 | 1,620.4 |
| 2016 | 1,606.3 |
| 2017 | 1,674.8 |
| 2018 | 1,808.4 |
| Year | Prod. |
| 2019 | 1,869.9 |
| 2020 | 1,880.4 |
| 2021 | 1,950.5 |
| 2022 | 1,888.7 |
| 2023 | 1,888.2 |