The Bureau of International Steel Recycling (BIR) released the 17th edition of its World Steel Recycling by the Numbers report, covering the period 2021-2025. Speaking at the BIR Iron and Steel Division meeting in Gothenburg, Statistical Adviser Rolf Willeke highlighted a notable trend in 2025: Recycled steel consumption continued to rise even as global crude steel production fell.
Global crude steel production fell 1.9 percent year-on-year to approximately 1.85 billion, according to the report tons Data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel) showed that 69.4 percent of steel production comes from basic oxygen furnaces, while electric arc furnaces account for 30.3 percent. While production of oxygen furnaces declined, production of electric arc furnaces increased slightly, reflecting the industry's gradual transition to low-carbon steel production. An important indicator of this transition is global production of direct reduced iron (DRI), which increased by a further 4.9 percent to approximately 153 million tonnes. India remains the world's largest direct reduced producer, with production up 7.4 percent to about 58.9 million tons.
China and India drive growth in demand for recycled steel
Consumption of recycled steel in the countries and regions covered by the report grew 4.5 percent year-on-year to 480 million tons, despite a 2.5 percent decline in crude steel production in these markets. Indoor markets account for approximately 75 percent of global steel use in steel production.
China maintained its position as the world's largest consumer of recycled steel, increasing consumption 8.3 percent to 227 million tons, although crude steel production fell 4.4 percent. India has also recorded significant growth in both recycled steel consumption and raw steel production, further highlighting its growing importance in the global steel sector.
According to BIR and worldsteel calculations, global steel production uses about 630 million tonnes of recycled steel annually. This helps avoid nearly 950 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions while reducing energy consumption and conserving natural resources, enhancing the strategic role of scrap in efforts to decarbonize the steel industry.
Turkey continues to be one of the most intensive steel-producing countries
