Global pig iron production saw a significant increase in March 2025, with a total of 120.8 million tons produced, marking a 2.4% rise compared to the same period in 2024. This growth indicates the ongoing recovery and expansion of the global steel industry, with notable contributions from the blast furnace and direct reduction methods.
Production Methods and Regional Performance
Of the total production, the blast furnace method accounted for 110.2 million tons, reflecting a 1.5% year-on-year increase and a 5.4% rise from January 2025. Meanwhile, the direct reduction method produced 10.6 million tons, showing an 8.9% increase compared to March 2024 and a substantial 22.6% increase from February 2025.
Key Pig Iron Producers
China remains the leading producer of pig iron, producing 216.28 million tons in March, which is a modest 0.8% increase from the previous year. India followed with 38.03 million tons, up 6.2% year-on-year. Russia, Japan, and South Korea also showed varied performance, with Russia producing 15.16 million tons, Japan 14.82 million tons, and South Korea 10.68 million tons.
Ukraine, ranking 14th among the top 40 global producers, produced 1.7 million tons of pig iron in the first quarter of 2025, up 7.2% year-on-year. In March alone, Ukraine’s production reached 563,200 tons, reflecting a 4.6% year-on-year and a 3.5% month-on-month increase.
Year-to-Date Global Trends
For the first quarter of 2025, global pig iron production reached 346.34 million tons, showing a slight increase of 0.04% compared to 2024. The direct reduction method contributed 28.85 million tons, while the blast furnace method remained dominant with 317.49 million tons produced.
In contrast, 2024 saw a slight global decrease of 1.3% in pig iron production, totaling 1.391 billion tons. Despite the overall decline, direct reduction methods saw a 4.5% increase in production, accounting for 125.57 million tons.
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