Gitnux/Report 2026

Steel and Iron Industry Statistics

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Steel and Iron Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The steel and iron industry at a glance

The steel and iron industry produced 1,849.4 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, but weak demand, excess capacity and decarbonization costs continue to pressure producers and prices.

1,849.4 Mt[20]
Global crude steel output, 2025
52.0%[20]
China share of output, 2025
0.9%[77]
Global demand CAGR, 2025–2030
$99.07/t[82]
Iron ore price, Jan–Sep 2025
Market size
Global crude steel production totaled 1,849.4 million tonnes in 2025, compared with 1,886.8 million tonnes in 2024. China remained the largest producing country at 960.8 million tonnes, followed by India at 164.9 million tonnes.[20]
Forecast & CAGR
Global steel demand is projected to reach 1,884.58 million tonnes by 2030, implying a 0.9% compound annual growth rate from 2025. India is forecast to grow at 5.1% annually over the same period, while China’s demand is projected to decline by 0.3% annually.[77]
Market share & regions
Asia produced 1,353.4 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, representing about 73.2% of world output. Europe produced 167.1 million tonnes, North America 107.4 million tonnes, and Africa 29.8 million tonnes.[20]
Segmentation
Production is segmented mainly by route: approximately 69.4% of 2025 global output came from oxygen-based steelmaking, 30.3% from electric furnaces, and 0.3% from other processes. The principal downstream uses are construction, automotive, machinery, energy infrastructure and consumer products.[20][83]
Key players & concentration
China Baowu Group was the largest steelmaker in 2025 with 124.76 million tonnes of crude steel, followed by ArcelorMittal with 63.43 million tonnes and Nippon Steel with 57.78 million tonnes. The leading company therefore accounted for about 6.7% of global output, indicating that production is concentrated among countries but fragmented across companies.[20]
Pricing
The average spot price for imported 62% iron ore fines at Tianjin was $99.07 per tonne during the first nine months of 2025, down from $112.07 per tonne during the same period of 2024. The decline reflects weaker steel demand and persistent supply pressure in raw materials markets.[82]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The main growth drivers are infrastructure investment, industrialization and capacity expansion in India, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The main challenges are excess capacity, weak utilization and decarbonization: OECD projects excess capacity of 745 million tonnes by 2028, while the IEA reports that blast-furnace/basic-oxygen-furnace production still represents about 70% of global steelmaking.[77][83]
Consumer behavior & competition
Steel demand is closely linked to construction, automotive and capital-goods investment rather than household consumption. In 2025, China accounted for 830.94 million tonnes, or about 46.0% of global steel demand, while India was the fastest-growing major market at 9.8% year over year.[77]
M&A
M&A remains focused on scale, distribution and regional consolidation. In January 2026, Worthington Steel announced an agreement to acquire Klöckner & Co; the companies said the combination would create North America’s second-largest steel service-center company with more than $9.5 billion in combined revenue.[84]
Regulation
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive regime on January 1, 2026, covering iron and steel imports. Importers bringing more than 50 tonnes of CBAM goods into the EU must apply for authorized declarant status and purchase certificates linked to embedded emissions.[85]
Latest news
The OECD’s 2026 outlook identifies excess capacity as the industry’s immediate structural risk, projecting global steelmaking overcapacity of 745 million tonnes by 2028. In parallel, Worthington Steel’s proposed 2026 acquisition of Klöckner & Co highlights continuing consolidation in steel distribution and processing.[77][84]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Steel And Iron Industry

The leading companies in the steel and iron industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

China Baowu leads Gitnux's 2026 steel and iron ranking with an Overall score of 9.0, with 124.76 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025. Nucor is the highest-ranked steel producer at 8.9, with 22.33 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in integrated steelmaking

    China Baowu

    CN

    Ranked #1 · 9.0 · Integrated steelmaking

    Why we picked it: It anchors integrated steelmaking in China, with 124.76 million tonnes of crude steel reported for 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit baowugroup.com ↗

  2. Leader in electric-arc steel

    Nucor

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Electric-arc steel

    Why we picked it: It produces electric-arc-furnace crude steel at 22.33 million tonnes in 2025, with downstream products.

    See in ranking ↓Visit nucor.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Techint Group

    LU

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Integrated steelmaking

    Why we picked it: Its steel interests, via Ternium and Usiminas, contributed 16.30 million tonnes in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit techint.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Pick 2 is the highest-ranked company in the top 5 that adds a new segment; no further segment places in the top 5, so pick 3 follows rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the steel and iron industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

China Baowu

Integrated steelmaking · CN

9.0
2

Nucor

Electric-arc steel · US

8.9
3

Techint Group

Integrated steelmaking · LU

8.8
4

Tata Steel

Integrated steelmaking · IN

8.7
5

JSW Steel

Integrated steelmaking · IN

8.7
6

Gerdau

Long steel and electric-arc-furnace production · BR

8.3
7

HBIS Group

Integrated steelmaking and advanced materials, China · CN

8.3
8

Hyundai Steel

Integrated and electric-arc-furnace steel, South Korea · KR

8.1
9

Cleveland-Cliffs

Vertically integrated flat-rolled steel, North America · US

7.9
10

JFE Steel

Integrated steelmaking and engineered products, Japan · JP

7.2

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the steel and iron industry. In Steel And Iron Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/steel-and-iron-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Global crude steel production

Global crude steel production fell from 1,883 million tonnes in 2020 to 1,849 million tonnes in 2025.

1,883 million tonnes
Start
-0.36%
CAGR · 5y
1,849 million tonnes
Projected
20202025
source-verifiedworldsteel.org2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology signals emphasize automation and AI deployments in steel value chains, including AI model counts and robot deployment and plant coverage metrics.

AI in the steel and iron industry

  • 261 robots were deployed cumulatively in the core steel business of a Chinese steel company in 2025, supporting AI-enabled and industrial-internet applications.[1]
  • Up to 5% energy savings in pelletizing operations were achieved by JSW Steel’s internally governed AI and machine-learning platform in FY2025-26.[2]
  • More than 550 AI models had been built by Tata Steel over the preceding five to six years by early 2025 to improve yield, energy, throughput, quality, productivity, safety and sustainability.[3]
  • More than 200 AI models were available through Google Cloud’s AI Agent Platform for Tata Steel’s unified agentic-AI deployment in 2026.[3]
  • More than 300 AI agents were adopted by Tata Steel in FY2025-26 to automate invoice processing, audits, commercial intelligence and human-resources activities.[3]
  • 98% of key data and KPI definitions were standardized across Tata Steel’s major units in FY2025-26 as part of its AI-ready data strategy.[3]

Automation in the steel and iron industry

  • 261 robots were deployed cumulatively in the core steel business of a Chinese steel company by 2025 to replace labor-intensive work.[1]
  • 98% of key data and KPI definitions were standardized across Tata Steel’s major units in FY2025-26, supporting integrated automation and analytics.[3]
  • 1.3 robots per plant was the estimated average across the 961 steel plants analyzed by FBR in 2026.[4]
  • 100 additional contractor-fleet robots were estimated in the steel-plant market analysis published by FBR in 2026.[4]
  • 1,349 robots were estimated as necessary to serve the total steel-plant market in FBR’s 2026 refractory-automation analysis.[4]
  • 961 steel plants with capacity of at least 0.5 million tonnes per year were identified in a 2026 market analysis of refractory-lining robot demand.[4]

Digital Transformation in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 44% had a digital-transformation strategy and were actively taking steps forward in 2025.[5]
  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 28% were developing a digital-transformation strategy in 2025.[5]
  • Mining and metals executives ranked process intelligence, data mining and robotic-process automation as a digital priority for 56% of respondents in 2024.[6]
  • U.S. mining firms recorded a 70.90% digitalization rate in the latest federal business-technology survey.[7]
  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 20% did not have a digital-transformation road map in 2025.[5]

Technology Adoption in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global mining and metals companies, 31% identified 5G networks as one of the two technologies most likely to increase metal supplies over the next five years in 2023.[8]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 17% identified autonomous steel production, such as autonomous vehicles, among the two technologies with the greatest expected supply impact in 2023.[8]
  • Nevada mining association members reported 40.4% adoption of cloud computing, 35.3% adoption of encryption and cybersecurity, and 33.8% adoption of IoT and connected devices in 2021.[9]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 48% said artificial intelligence would have the greatest impact on increasing metal supplies over the next five years in 2023.[8]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 21% identified technologies that enhance recovery from recycled materials as a leading supply-enabling technology in 2023.[8]

Cloud Computing in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • U.S. mining businesses reported a 37.05% cloud-computing adoption rate in the federal business-technology survey.[7]
  • Mining executives identified cloud adoption as a digital priority for 12% of respondents planning investments over the next one to two years in 2024.[6]
  • Global mining executives said high-power computing and cloud would affect their businesses within one year for 52.6% of respondents in the Mining Journal survey.[10]
  • Global mining executives expected high-power computing and cloud to affect their businesses within five to ten years for 92.2% of respondents.[10]

Big Data in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Chilean mining companies reported that 7.52% analyzed large volumes of data from sensors or smart devices in the sectoral Industry 4.0 study.[11]
  • Mining executives said big data and predictive analytics could affect their businesses within one year for 40.5% of respondents in the Mining Journal survey.[10]
  • Mining executives expected big data and predictive analytics to affect their businesses within five to ten years for 95.7% of respondents.[10]
  • Chilean mining companies reported that 9.02% performed big-data analysis in the sectoral Industry 4.0 study.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Analytics coverage links operational variables to outcomes, with examples like 99.2% equipment availability and 30% reduction in unscheduled downtime.

Business intelligence in the steel and iron industry

  • 20-plus performance indicators were targeted by analytics teams at an Indian steel plant to improve blast-furnace and related operations.[12]
  • 550-plus AI models were used across Tata Steel’s value chain in FY2023-24 to improve yield, throughput, quality and energy performance.[3]
  • 10 countries hosted Gerdau’s mills, providing the geographic scope for its data-driven alloy-optimization application.[13]
  • More than 300 AI agents automated invoice processing, audits, commercial intelligence and other business processes at Tata Steel in FY2025-26.[3]
  • 98% of key data and KPI definitions were standardised across Tata Steel’s major units in FY2025-26 globally.[3]
  • 1,350-plus hours of potential delay were avoided by Tata Steel’s predictive and prescriptive AI models in FY2023-24.[14]

Data analytics in the steel and iron industry

  • $2.3 million in verified annual maintenance savings was delivered by AI analytics at a steel mill.[15]
  • 300-plus variables were analysed in a steel through-chain database to identify process parameters associated with product rejection.[12]
  • 6% was the reduction in defective welds at a steel manufacturer after three months of predictive product-quality analytics.[16]
  • 34% was the reduction in maintenance cost per tonne at a 3.5-million-tonne Indian integrated steel plant after 18 months of digital AI deployment.[15]
  • 99.2% equipment availability was reached at a steel mill after deploying unified sensor, AI and maintenance-workflow analytics.[15]
  • 30% was the reduction in unscheduled downtime at a steel mill after two years of analysing operational and maintenance data.[17]

Data Quality in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 36% identified knowing they had the most current and best-quality data as their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% rated unmanaged historical data as a significant data-management challenge in 2023.[18]
  • Across mining respondents globally, 33% said they lacked the necessary information to make data-driven decisions in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% identified real-time access to datasets in a usable format as their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 50% expressed high confidence in their organisation’s ability to manage data quality in 2023.[18]

Data Governance in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 45% reported having an established data chain of custody in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals without an established framework globally, 56% planned to obtain one within three years in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% reported having an established data-management framework in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 29% said a single source of truth was the most important expected outcome from resolving data-management issues in 2023.[19]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 14% said reporting tools showing who accessed or edited data were their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[18]

KPIs in the steel and iron industry

  • 20.95 GJ of energy was consumed per tonne of crude steel globally in 2024.[20]
  • 2.30 cubic metres of fresh water were consumed per tonne of crude steel globally in 2024.[20]
  • 96.08% of employees and contractors worked in environmental-management-system-registered steel facilities in 2024.[20]
  • 8.50 cubic metres of fresh water were withdrawn per tonne of crude steel globally in 2024.[20]
  • 1.94% of total energy consumption came from renewable sources in the global steel industry in 2024.[20]
  • 88.07% of steel-industry employees received training on business ethics in 2024.[20]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth data centers on crude steel volumes, electrification mix, and major investment announcements that affect future throughput.

Growth in the steel and iron industry

  • 38.1 million tonnes of crude steel were produced in Türkiye in 2025, compared with 36.9 million tonnes in 2024.[20]
  • 1,848.9 million tonnes of crude steel were produced worldwide in 2025, up from 1,886.8 million tonnes in 2024, according to worldsteel.[20]
  • ArcelorMittal invested $1.1 billion in strategic capital projects over the 12 months ended June 2025 to expand long-term EBITDA capacity.[21]
  • JSW Steel approved a 5 million tonnes-per-year brownfield expansion at Vijayanagar, India, with planned investment of ₹26,000 crore.[2]
  • 10.8 million tonnes of crude steel were produced in Saudi Arabia in 2025, compared with 9.6 million tonnes in 2024.[20]
  • 960.8 million tonnes of crude steel were produced in China in 2025, making it the world’s largest steel-producing country.[20]

Differentiation in the steel and iron industry

  • $1.2 billion is ArcelorMittal’s planned investment in the Calvert, Alabama, non-grain-oriented electrical steel facility.[21]
  • 57.7% of India’s crude steel was produced through electric furnaces in 2025, compared with 42.3% through oxygen-based processes.[20]
  • 71.3% of U.S. crude steel was produced through electric furnaces in 2025, compared with 28.7% through oxygen-based processes.[20]
  • API X65 hydrogen-compliant steel pipes developed by Tata Steel were qualified for 100% pure gaseous hydrogen at pressures up to 100 bar.[3]
  • 90.1% of Italy’s crude steel was produced through electric furnaces in 2025, compared with 9.9% through oxygen-based processes.[20]
  • 150,000 metric tonnes per year is the planned capacity of ArcelorMittal’s non-grain-oriented electrical steel facility at Calvert, Alabama.[21]

Mergers and acquisitions in the steel and iron industry

  • $2.4 billion was the enterprise value implied by Worthington Steel’s proposed acquisition of Kloeckner & Co.[22]
  • $2.5 billion was the estimated value of Cleveland-Cliffs’ acquisition of Stelco, completed in November 2024.[23]
  • $325 million was SunCoke Energy’s announced purchase price for Phoenix Global in 2025.[24]
  • $115 million was Nucor’s acquisition price for Southwest Data Products in 2024.[25]
  • $150 million in annual synergies was Worthington Steel’s anticipated benefit from acquiring Kloeckner & Co.[22]
  • $537 million was Aperam’s enterprise value for acquiring Universal Stainless & Alloy Products in January 2025.[26]

Strategic partnerships in the steel and iron industry

  • 50:50 is the proposed ownership structure of the JSW Steel–POSCO integrated steel plant joint venture in India.[27]
  • $5.8 billion is the planned investment in Hyundai Motor Group’s Louisiana electric-arc-furnace integrated steel mill.[28]
  • Mid-2027 is the scheduled startup date for the industrial-scale hydrogen-based ironmaking prototype being developed by Primetals, Mitsubishi, Rio Tinto and voestalpine in Linz, Austria.[29]
  • 3.5 million tonnes per year is the potential CO2 reduction from thyssenkrupp Steel’s planned first direct-reduction plant using green hydrogen in Duisburg.[30]
  • 6,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year is the minimum supply agreed between SHS Group and Verso Energy from 2029.[31]
  • 10 years is the duration of SHS Group’s agreed annual green-hydrogen supply contract with Verso Energy beginning in 2029.[31]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce reporting highlights turnover and hiring rates plus training coverage metrics, grounded in FY and calendar-year spans.

Hiring in the steel and iron industry

  • 67 employees were hired in Southern Brazil by ArcelorMittal Brasil in 2024.[32]
  • 3,127 employees were hired by ArcelorMittal Brasil in 2024, giving the company a 15.34% new-hire rate in Brazil.[32]
  • 2,235 men were hired by ArcelorMittal Brasil in 2024.[32]
  • 1,591 employees aged 30–50 were hired by ArcelorMittal Brasil in 2024.[32]
  • 892 women were hired by ArcelorMittal Brasil in 2024, representing 26.74% of its female workforce hiring rate.[32]

Employee retention in the steel and iron industry

  • 6.9% was Cleveland-Cliffs’ hourly employee turnover rate in 2024.[33]
  • 6.9% was Tata Steel’s employee resignation rate for workers aged 20–30 in FY2024-25.[3]
  • 1.3% was Tata Steel’s employee resignation rate for workers aged 40–50 in FY2024-25.[3]
  • 10.3% was Cleveland-Cliffs’ total employee turnover rate in 2024.[33]
  • 3.9% was Tata Steel’s employee resignation rate for workers aged 30–40 in FY2024-25.[3]

Remote Work in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, 57.1% expected to maintain remote work in some positions after the pandemic, according to a survey referring to 2020.[34]
  • In the U.S. mining industry, about 16% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[35]
  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, 55.6% of mining companies reported applying remote work during the pandemic, according to a survey referring to 2020.[34]
  • 100% of surveyed large-scale mining companies in Chile adopted virtual work in administration and support areas during the COVID-19 period, according to a survey referring to 2020.[34]
  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, 34.5% introduced remote work in main-value-chain positions such as extraction, processing, and maintenance, according to a survey referring to 2020.[34]

Hybrid Work in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • 76% of mining, quarrying, and oil-and-gas workers surveyed globally considered hybrid or remote work in an international relocation destination appealing in 2025.[36]
  • 3.4% of U.S. farming, fishing and forestry workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[35]
  • 2.4% of U.S. construction and extraction workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[35]
  • 16% of U.S. mining workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[35]

Upskilling in the steel and iron industry

  • 8.9 training days per employee were reported in the steel sector in 2023, up from 6.9 days in 2019.[37]
  • 680,000 or more person-days of employee training were reported by Tata Steel for FY2024-25.[3]
  • 3,218 training courses were delivered to U.S. Steel employees in 2024.[38]
  • 19 training hours per employee were reported by Tata Steel for FY2024-25.[3]
  • 127,646 training hours were provided to U.S. Steel operations and maintenance employees in 2024.[38]

Employee Engagement in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • At Mineral Resources Limited, 70% employee engagement was recorded in the FY2024 annual survey, three percentage points above the reported industry average of 67%.[39]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, the median employee net promoter score was 4 in a Culture Amp benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[40]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 67% of employees were engaged in a Culture Amp benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[40]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 27% of employees disagreed that the company acted when someone was not delivering in their role in a benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[40]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 23% of employees were considering or actively seeking another job in a benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[40]

DEI in the steel and iron industry

  • 0.28% of Tata Steel’s workforce identified as LGBTQI+ in FY2024-25.[3]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer reporting focuses on satisfaction, complaint handling, and delivery performance, with quantified indices and resolved-complaint counts.

Customer experience in the steel and iron industry

  • 85.1 points was Tata Steel’s customer satisfaction index in calendar year 2024, measured on a 100-point scale across direct customers, MSME clients and channel partners in India.[41]
  • 4.4 out of 5 was Evergreen Steel Corporation’s customer rating for product quality in the first half of 2025.[41]
  • 90 points was Hsin Kuang Steel’s average customer satisfaction score in Taiwan in 2024, based on 157 valid survey responses.[41]
  • 26 customer complaints were received by Qatar Steel in 2023, and all were resolved after root-cause analysis and corrective action.[42]
  • 4.35 out of 5 was Qatar Steel’s overall customer performance rating in 2023, based on its annual customer satisfaction survey.[42]

Customer retention in the steel and iron industry

  • 3.5 million tons of coke were sold by SunCoke Energy to two primary U.S. steel customers in 2024 under long-term take-or-pay contracts.[43]
  • Approximately 40% of Reliance’s orders were delivered within 24 hours during the five years preceding 2024.[44]
  • 88.1 out of 100 was Tata Steel’s customer loyalty score in fiscal year 2021–22.[3]
  • Two primary U.S. steel customers accounted for SunCoke Energy’s 3.5 million tons of coke sold under long-term contracts in 2024.[43]
  • 93.4 out of 100 was Tata Shaktee’s Net Promoter Score in fiscal year 2021–22.[3]

Customer acquisition in the steel and iron industry

  • RMB2,188 million in sales came from Maanshan Iron & Steel’s largest customer in 2024, equal to 2.7% of annual sales.[45]
  • RMB9,069 million in sales came from Maanshan Iron & Steel’s five largest customers in 2024, equal to 11% of annual sales.[45]
  • RMB1,780 million was the reported sales value for Maanshan Iron & Steel’s second listed new customer in 2024, equal to 2.2% of annual sales.[45]
  • 6% sales growth was reported by O’Neal Steel after implementing a shared CRM platform for customer and pipeline information.[46]
  • $850 million was the value of O’Neal Steel’s largest account, sourced through InsideView’s lead-generation program.[47]

Customer loyalty in the steel and iron industry

  • Approximately 40% of Reliance’s orders were delivered within 24 hours during the five years preceding 2024, supporting its customer-service proposition.[44]
  • More than 95% of Reliance’s sales orders came from repeat customers in 2024.[44]
  • 56 was Sandmeyer Steel Company’s Net Promoter Score for October 2025 through March 2026.[48]
  • 96% of Tata Steel customers were described as loyal repeat customers in fiscal year 2017–18.[3]

Lead generation in the steel and iron industry

  • 64.92% was the year-on-year increase in Masteel’s organic website traffic after its SEO and website redesign program.[49]
  • 40% revenue growth was reported by Whirlwind Steel over an 18-month period alongside its inbound-marketing program.[50]
  • 98% of leads were rated high quality by Aquatherm’s sales team in its steel-tariff campaign.[51]
  • 9.86% was the increase in Masteel’s website visit-to-enquiry conversion rate after its lead-generation website optimization.[49]
  • 350 prospective leads were identified by O’Neal Steel in one sales campaign using InsideView data.[47]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand and reach metrics track media distribution, site engagement, and social-impressions volumes across industry and company channels.

Marketing in the steel and iron industry

  • 3,050 companies were reached by AIST’s Iron & Steel Technology magazine advertising program in 2024.[52]
  • 16,773 copies was the average monthly distribution of AIST’s Iron & Steel Technology magazine in 2024.[52]
  • 21% of AIST members were engineers in the 2024 audience profile for steel-industry advertising.[52]
  • 69 countries were reached by AIST’s Iron & Steel Technology magazine in 2024.[52]
  • 22,000+ dealers served Tata Steel’s Indian business in fiscal 2024, alongside 250+ distributors.[3]

Digital marketing in the steel and iron industry

  • 18.49% was the increase in Pennsylvania Steel’s website traffic originating from social media after the digital campaign.[53]
  • 4.3 million people were reached by Pennsylvania Steel’s digital campaign, according to the agency case study.[53]
  • 45,000 average monthly visitors reached AIST.org’s iron-and-steel audience in the 2024 media kit.[52]
  • 116,000 average monthly page views were recorded for AIST.org in the 2024 digital advertising profile.[52]
  • 2.8 million campaign-related views were reported for Pennsylvania Steel’s digital-marketing program.[53]

Branding in the steel and iron industry

  • $3.0 billion was Tata Steel’s 2025 brand value, up 5% in Brand Finance’s mining, metals and minerals ranking.[1]
  • 28% was Tata Steel’s increase in brand value to $2.9 billion in Brand Finance’s 2024 India ranking.[54]
  • $4.666 billion was ArcelorMittal’s 2026 brand value, ranking it third among mining, metals and minerals brands globally.[55]
  • $4.194 billion was Nippon Steel’s 2026 brand value, ranking it fifth globally in mining, metals and minerals.[55]
  • $4.7 billion was ArcelorMittal’s 2026 brand value after a 31% year-on-year increase, according to Brand Finance.[56]

Social media in the steel and iron industry

  • 0.83% was JSW Steel’s LinkedIn engagement rate in fiscal 2025–26.[2]
  • 58 Instagram posts were published by ArcelorMittal France during its 2024 Paris Olympics communication program.[21]
  • 3,600 Instagram followers were gained by ArcelorMittal France between March 2023 and October 2024, starting from zero.[21]
  • 7.2 million impressions were generated by ArcelorMittal France’s Paris 2024 social-media communication in 2024.[21]
  • 68 Facebook posts were published by ArcelorMittal France during its 2024 Paris Olympics communication program.[21]

Influencer Marketing in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • In 2026, underground mining influencer Cory Rockwell had 117,100 TikTok followers, using videos about explosives, haul trucking, bolting and underground work.[57]
  • In 2026, Paula Mineria’s mining-related TikTok content had generated 1.6 million likes across audiences in Colombia, Japan, Chile, Panama, Canada and the United States.[57]
  • In 2026, Colombian mining and metallurgy student Paula Mineria had 110,600 TikTok followers, illustrating the reach of mining-focused influencer content.[57]
  • In 2026, Cory Rockwell’s most-watched underground-mining video reached 6.9 million views, demonstrating the potential scale of employee-led influencer content in mining.[57]
  • In 2026, Cory Rockwell’s underground-mining TikTok content had accumulated 5 million likes, providing a sector-specific audience benchmark for employee and operator advocacy.[57]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational metrics emphasize downtime, productivity, and quality outcomes, including 15% unplanned downtime reduction and plant-level rejection rates.

Process optimization in the steel and iron industry

  • 73.1 kg per tonne of crude steel was Tata Steel's lowest annual lime consumption in 2025-26.[3]
  • 15% was the approximate reduction in unplanned downtime achieved through JSW Steel technology initiatives in 2025-26.[2]
  • 854 tonnes of crude steel per employee per year was Tata Steel's productivity in the latest ESG indicator series.[3]
  • 900 tonnes of crude steel per employee per year was Tata Steel's reported productivity in 2023-24.[3]
  • 925 tonnes of crude steel per employee per year was Tata Steel's productivity in 2024-25.[3]

Operational efficiency in the steel and iron industry

  • 20.48 million tonnes was Tata Steel's enriched or value-added product sales in 2025-26.[3]
  • 29.63 million tonnes was JSW Steel's production and sales volume in 2025-26.[2]
  • 70.904 was the U.S. iron-and-steel-mills labor-productivity index in 2025, with 2017 equal to 100.[58]
  • 31.67 million tonnes was Tata Steel's production in 2025-26.[3]
  • 10,868 crore rupees were saved through Tata Steel's cost-transformation programme in 2025-26.[3]

Quality management in the steel and iron industry

  • 14,419 external customer complaints were filed with Tata Steel UK in FY2025-26.[3]
  • 0.12% was Tata Steel's lowest-ever internal rejection rate at the reported plant in 2025-26.[3]
  • 272 investor complaints were resolved by Tata Steel in FY2025-26.[3]
  • 16,021 external customer complaints were filed with Tata Steel UK in FY2024-25.[3]
  • 86.1 out of 100 was Tata Steel's steel customer-satisfaction index in 2023-24.[3]

Supply chain in the steel and iron industry

  • 216 supply-chain partners were assessed under Tata Steel's Responsible Supply Chain Policy in 2023-24.[3]
  • 14,000+ active suppliers supported Tata Steel's operations in 2025-26.[3]
  • 20 million tonnes of finished goods were handled by Tata Steel in 2023-24.[3]
  • 53.5 million tonnes of materials were mined within Tata Steel's 2025-26 value chain.[3]
  • 3,444 supply-chain partners were assessed under Tata Steel's Responsible Supply Chain Policy in 2025-26.[3]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • 13.5% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s small-scale mining companies in 2019.[59]
  • 30% of mining and metals companies rated outsourcing more functions and capabilities to third-party specialists a top or significant cybersecurity talent priority in 2023.[60]
  • Contractors represented 54% of Queensland’s mining-industry workforce in fiscal year 2022–2023.[61]
  • 54.0% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s medium-sized mining companies in 2019.[59]
  • 75.0% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s large-scale mining companies in 2019.[59]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Finance and pricing signals connect selling-price pressure and margins, alongside company-level EBITDA and R&D spending figures.

Pricing strategy in the steel and iron industry

  • 2% was Commercial Metals’ reduction in steel-products average selling price per ton in fiscal 2025, driven by competitive pricing pressure.[43]
  • 9% was Commercial Metals’ year-on-year decline in downstream-products average selling price per ton in fiscal 2025.[43]
  • 5% was Commercial Metals’ year-on-year decline in steel-products average selling price per ton in fiscal 2025.[43]
  • $898 per tonne was ArcelorMittal’s average steel selling price in 2025, down 2.3% from 2024 globally.[62]
  • €9.8 billion was thyssenkrupp Steel Europe’s sales in fiscal 2024/25 amid lower steel prices and restructuring activity.[63]

Cost reduction in the steel and iron industry

  • €800 million was thyssenkrupp Steel’s targeted earnings improvement from self-help measures under its medium-term strategy.[63]
  • 2.5 million tonnes of directly reduced iron is the planned annual capacity of thyssenkrupp Steel’s Duisburg direct-reduction plant.[63]
  • 4% was Commercial Metals’ increase in steel-products metal margin per ton in fiscal 2025.[43]
  • $10 per ton was Commercial Metals’ improvement in steel-products metal margin in fiscal 2025 as scrap costs fell faster than selling prices.[43]
  • ₹9,015 per tonne was JSW Steel’s fiscal 2025/26 EBITDA, supported primarily by lower cost per tonne.[2]

Profitability in the steel and iron industry

  • 15.2% was JSW Steel’s operating EBITDA margin in fiscal 2025/26.[2]
  • 15% was Tata Steel’s consolidated EBITDA margin in fiscal 2025/26, after a 320-basis-point year-on-year improvement.[3]
  • 11.1% was Steel Dynamics’ operating margin in 2024, according to CRU’s compilation of company reports.[64]
  • 1.5% was U.S. Steel’s operating margin in 2024, according to CRU’s compilation of company reports.[64]
  • -3.9% was Cleveland-Cliffs’ operating margin in 2024, according to CRU’s compilation of company reports.[64]

Financial planning in the steel and iron industry

  • ₹45,237 crore was Tata Steel’s liquidity, including cash, cash equivalents and undrawn credit lines, in fiscal 2025/26.[3]
  • $1.1 billion was ArcelorMittal’s strategic capital expenditure in 2025.[21]
  • 11% is thyssenkrupp Steel’s medium-term adjusted-EBITDA-margin ambition.[63]
  • $1.6 billion is ArcelorMittal’s anticipated additional EBITDA from strategic growth projects still to be commissioned.[21]
  • $0.7 billion was the additional EBITDA generated by ArcelorMittal’s strategic growth projects in 2025.[21]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product and service signals include throughput and materials inputs, plus R&D and LCA study volumes supporting product and process claims.

Product development in the steel and iron industry

  • $285 million was ArcelorMittal’s research-and-development expense in 2024.[21]
  • 46 new products and solutions were launched by ArcelorMittal in 2024.[21]
  • 145 life-cycle-assessment studies related to steel products and production processes were conducted by ArcelorMittal in 2024.[21]
  • €8.40 million was spent by voestalpine on research subprojects for new steelmaking technologies in business year 2024/25.[65]
  • 1,000 tonnes per year was the capacity of ArcelorMittal’s large-batch inert-gas atomiser for steel powders in 2024.[21]

Product lifecycle in the steel and iron industry

  • 630 million tonnes of recycled steel were used annually in global steel production, according to 2024 industry estimates.[66]
  • 84.8% of crude steel production in Turkey used recycled steel in 2024.[66]
  • 96.08% of employees and contractors worked in environmental-management-system-registered steel facilities globally in 2024.[20]
  • 69.2% of crude steel production in the United States used recycled steel in 2024.[66]
  • 1.94% of total energy consumed by the global steel industry came from renewable sources in 2024.[20]

After-sales in the steel and iron industry

  • 125,000 customers were served by Reliance’s metals distribution and processing network in 2024.[44]
  • 100% was Shandong Steel’s customer-complaint resolution rate in 2024.[67]
  • More than 100,000 metal products were distributed by Reliance in 2024, including carbon, stainless and specialty steels.[44]
  • 90 points was Shandong Steel’s customer-satisfaction score in 2024.[67]
  • 1,117 Tata Steel UK customer complaints remained pending at the close of financial year 2023/24.[68]

Value proposition in the steel and iron industry

  • More than 50 XCarb recycled-and-renewably-produced products were commercialised by ArcelorMittal in 2024.[21]
  • 54.3 million tonnes were ArcelorMittal’s total steel shipments in 2024.[69]
  • 10-times faster was ArcelorMittal’s reported improvement in patent analysis using AI in 2025.[21]
  • Approximately one-quarter of U.S. raw-steel production was produced by Nucor in 2025.[25]
  • Over 1,650 researchers worked across 14 research centres and 4 research units in ArcelorMittal’s 2025 global R&D organisation.[21]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability metrics quantify energy intensity and emissions per tonne, while ethics and training coverage signals governance controls.

Sustainability in the steel and iron industry

  • 92.79% of steel-industry raw materials were converted into products or co-products globally in 2024.[20]
  • 8.31% of steel-industry revenue was invested in new processes and products globally in 2024.[20]
  • 20.95 GJ of energy were consumed per tonne of crude steel globally in 2024.[20]
  • 96.08% of steel-industry employees and contractors worked in EMS-registered facilities in 2024.[20]
  • 2.18 tonnes of CO₂e were emitted per tonne of crude steel globally in 2024.[20]

ESG in the steel and iron industry

  • 100% of Baogang’s sites were certified to ISO 14001 in 2024.[70]
  • 100% of Baogang’s employees received social insurance coverage in 2024.[70]
  • 100% of Baogang’s employees were covered by labor contracts in 2024.[70]
  • 97.17% was Baogang’s customer-satisfaction rate in 2024.[70]
  • 100% of Baogang’s steel slag was comprehensively utilized in 2024.[70]

Ethics in the steel and iron industry

  • 4,907 anti-corruption and anti-bribery training participants were reported by Samsung Heavy Industries in 2022.[71]
  • 6,035 hours of human-rights training were delivered to 1,491 attendees by China Steel Corporation in 2024.[41]
  • 13,157 anti-corruption and anti-bribery training participants were reported by Samsung Heavy Industries in 2024.[71]
  • 10 Code of Conduct or ethics cases were recorded by Samsung Heavy Industries in 2022.[71]
  • 100% of Shandong Steel’s workforce was covered by business-ethics training in 2024.[72]

CSR in the steel and iron industry

  • 1.83% of Baogang’s employees belonged to a disabled group in 2024.[70]
  • 100% of Baogang employees received vocational and skills training in 2024.[70]
  • 2.5 average volunteer-service hours per person were recorded by Baogang United Steel in 2024.[70]
  • 45 demobilized soldiers were recruited by Baogang United Steel in 2024.[70]
  • 100% of Baogang employees received occupational-health checkups in 2024.[70]

Circular economy in the steel and iron industry

  • 13,110 tonnes of Baogang’s hazardous waste were recycled in 2024.[70]
  • 1.94% of global steel-industry energy consumption came from renewable energy in 2024.[20]
  • 279.2328 million tonnes of recycled water were used by Baogang United Steel in 2024.[70]
  • 959,130 tonnes of Baogang’s general waste were recycled in 2024.[70]
  • 100% of Baogang’s dust and sludge were recovered and utilized in 2024.[70]

Carbon footprint in the steel and iron industry

  • 121.0 million tonnes was ArcelorMittal’s absolute CO₂e footprint for its historical steel-and-mining portfolio in 2023.[62]
  • 2.66 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of crude steel was the 2024 BF–BOF route intensity including expanded upstream and non-CO₂ emissions.[20]
  • 23.88 GJ of energy were consumed per tonne of crude steel on the BF–BOF route in 2024.[20]
  • 110.2 million tonnes was ArcelorMittal’s absolute CO₂e footprint for its historical steel-and-mining portfolio in 2024.[62]
  • 0.69 tonnes of CO₂ were emitted per tonne of crude steel from the scrap-EAF route in 2024.[20]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Expansion metrics track trade flows and workforce coverage internationally, alongside shipping and supplier-assessment figures across regions.

Globalization in the steel and iron industry

  • 308 million tonnes was the lower end of annual global steel exports recorded between 2019 and 2025, excluding intra-EU and intra-ASEAN trade.[77]
  • 238.5 million tonnes of steel were exported from Asia in 2025, representing 74.3% of world steel trade.[77]
  • 20.8 million tonnes of steel were exported by ASEAN countries in 2025.[77]
  • 50 million tonnes of steel were exported by Europe in 2025, 53% below its 2019 level.[77]
  • 353 million tonnes was the upper end of annual global steel exports recorded between 2019 and 2025, excluding intra-EU and intra-ASEAN trade.[77]

Cultural adaptation in the steel and iron industry

  • 5.8 training person-days per employee were achieved by Tata Steel Thailand in FY2024-25.[3]
  • 1.9% of Australian steel-industry workers identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in 2024.[78]
  • 19% of Tata Steel employees belonged to reported affirmative-action, women, disability or LGBT+ categories in FY2025-26.[3]
  • 60 nationalities were represented in Stahl’s global workforce at the end of 2023.[79]
  • 6.77 training days per employee were recorded across the reporting steel-industry sample in 2024.[20]

Supplier management in the steel and iron industry

  • 670 Tata Steel critical suppliers, representing 95% of the assessed critical-supplier population, were assessed under its responsible-supply-chain framework in FY2023-24.[3]
  • 87.4% of Tata Steel’s workforce was covered by formal trade unions in FY2025-26.[3]
  • More than 1,000 Tata Steel vendor partners were covered by its VCAP programme in FY2023-24.[3]
  • 100% of Tata Steel’s critical supply-chain partners are targeted for ESG-risk assessment by 2027.[3]
  • 60 countries were represented by Swiss Steel Group’s direct suppliers in 2024.[80]

Stakeholder management in the steel and iron industry

  • 16,505 Tata Steel employees volunteered in India during FY2024-25.[3]
  • 4.40 volunteer hours per capita were recorded for Tata Steel employees in India during FY2024-25.[3]
  • 68 targets across 15 UN Sustainable Development Goals guided Tata Steel’s social initiatives in FY2024-25.[3]
  • 0.08% of revenue was invested in community activities by the reporting steel-industry sample in 2024.[20]
  • 454 social issues were addressed through Tata Steel employee volunteering in India during FY2024-25.[3]

Distribution channels in the steel and iron industry

  • 24.767 million tons were shipped to outside customers by Nucor in 2024.[25]
  • 20% of Nucor Steel Mills’ shipments went to Nucor’s Steel Products segment in 2024.[81]
  • 2,627 thousand dollars of U.S. Steel shipments went to further-conversion trade customers in 2024.[38]
  • 2,410 thousand dollars of U.S. Steel shipments went to construction and construction-products customers in 2024.[38]
  • 2,857 thousand dollars of U.S. Steel shipments went to steel service centers in 2024.[38]

Key questions about the steel and iron industry

What was global steel output in the most recent full year?
Global crude steel output totaled 1,849.4 million tonnes in 2025, down from 1,886.8 million tonnes in 2024.
How fast is steel demand expected to grow by 2030?
Global steel demand is projected to reach 1,884.58 million tonnes by 2030, implying a 0.9% CAGR from 2025.
Which companies lead the steel and iron industry?
China Baowu leads Gitnux's 2026 steel and iron ranking with an Overall score of 9.0, with 124.76 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025. Nucor is the highest-ranked steel producer at 8.9, with 22.33 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025.
What technology shifts matter most for production and compliance?
Route mix continues to tilt between oxygen-based steelmaking (69.4% of 2025 output) and electric furnaces (30.3%), while CBAM enters its definitive regime on January 1, 2026.
How have iron ore prices moved into 2025?
Iron ore prices averaged $99.07/t in Jan–Sep 2025 versus $112.07/t in the same period of 2024.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Steel And Iron Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/steel-and-iron-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Steel And Iron Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/steel-and-iron-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Steel And Iron Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/steel-and-iron-industry-statistics.

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