April 14, 2026 | Berlin, Germany
The World Steel Association (worldsteel) today released its short-range steel demand forecast for 2026–2027.
The report projects that global steel demand will edge up by 0.3% to 1,724 million tonnes in 2026, and will accelerate by 2.2% to 1,762 million tonnes in 2027.
Commenting on the forecast, Mr. Alfonso Hidalgo Calcerrada, Chairman of the worldsteel Market Research Committee and Chief Economist of the Spanish Steel Association, said:
“The latest forecast confirms the trend we anticipated in our October 2025 report – that global steel demand bottomed out in 2025–2026.
Prior to this, we had experienced a long and challenging period of structural adjustments since 2022, which restrained steel demand.
We are now transitioning to a modest growth trajectory in 2026, with a more pronounced acceleration expected in 2027.”
(Source: World Steel Association)
