Global crude steel production eased in August 2026, with worldsteel reporting a modest decline across the 70 countries that supply monthly data.

Sources published the figures on 24 September 2026, citing World Steel Association (worldsteel) data that put output at 144.2 million tonnes for August 2026, a fall of 1.2% compared with August 2025.

Regional performance

The report shows contrasting regional trends. Asia and Oceania remained the largest producing area with 106.7 million tonnes in August 2026, but this represented a 1.4% decrease year on year.

By contrast Africa recorded growth, producing 2.1 million tonnes in August 2026, up 8.8% on the same month in 2025.

Key figures from the worldsteel dataset summarised in the reports item include:

  • Total reported output (70 countries): 144.2 million tonnes in August 2026, down 1.2% year on year.
  • Asia and Oceania: 106.7 million tonnes, down 1.4% year on year.
  • Africa: 2.1 million tonnes, up 8.8% year on year.

Near-term implications

The overall fall of 1.2% is modest in scale but notable because it comes while the largest producing region also recorded a decline. That concentration means movements in Asia and Oceania have outsized influence on the global total.

Africa's near double-digit percentage increase is marked against a small base and was highlighted in the reports summary of the dataset.

Taken together, the figures point to a global picture where regional divergences can offset one another: the sizeable volume produced in Asia and Oceania keeps the world total high even when it slips, while growth in smaller regions has only a limited impact on the aggregate.

The worldsteel data reported covers the 70 countries that regularly submit monthly crude steel production, offering a consistent short-term time series for tracking changes month by month.

The August 2026 snapshot will be used by analysts and industry participants to monitor demand patterns and capacity utilisation, but the dataset alone does not explain the underlying causes of the month-on-month or year-on-year moves. The reports item presents the headline production numbers without additional commentary on drivers such as order books, raw-material availability or policy measures.

Readers seeking to follow the series should note that the figures referenced come explicitly from worldsteel as reported on 24 September 2026, and that the monthly release covers only the 70 reporting countries rather than a global total that includes non-reporting jurisdictions.

Concise technical summary:

  • Source: The report of worldsteel data, published 24 September 2026.
  • Coverage: 70 countries reporting monthly to the World Steel Association.
  • August 2026 output: 144.2 million tonnes, down 1.2% on August 2025.
  • Regional snapshots included in the report: Asia and Oceania 106.7 Mt (down 1.4%); Africa 2.1 Mt (up 8.8%).