Global Steel Outlook Slows, but Worldsteel Still Sees a Return to Growth Next Year

In an outlook published on Monday, October 12, 2026, the World Steel Association said global steel demand would remain almost unchanged in 2026 from 2025 before returning to growth in 2027. It cut its 2027 growth forecast from 2.2 to 1.7 percent and cited China's property downturn among the reasons for the revision.

The association nevertheless sees stronger demand growth outside China in 2027 than in 2026. It said energy-market disruption stemming from instability in West Asia affected the outlook, which draws on data available through early September 2026. These are forecasts, not realised results.