Decline in global steel consumption per capita in 2014 for the first time in five years

International steel association, the latest annual statistics show that in 2014 the global finished steel apparent consumption per capita is 216.6 kg, 217.8 kg, lower than the previous year since the first decline since 2009, is mainly driven by countries such as China’s per capita steel consumption drops.

Last year, according to the international steel association statistics, China’s per capita steel apparent consumption is 510.0 kg, 530.6 kg significantly declined from a year earlier, reversing the sustained growth over the past ten years. Cis countries last year also showed significantly lower per capita steel consumption, especially affected by the political instability in eastern Ukraine, per capita consumption of steel from the previous year’s intense fell to 95.0 kg, 123.4 kg for fall since 2012. Other major steel-producing countries like Brazil and Turkey are a significant decline in steel consumption per capita, which Brazil from 131.9 kg to 121.9 kg, 417.7 kg of Turkey from the previous year dropped to 405.3 kg.

In addition to Asia, South America and cis countries, most parts of the world per capita steel consumption are maintaining the momentum of growth. In 2014, the north American steel consumption per capita is 300.1 kg, 272.1 kg is significantly higher than the previous year; The eu last year’s 275.8 kg per capita steel consumption rose to 287.7 kg, in three years. Last year the European steel apparent consumption reached 146.8 million tons, but still well below pre-crisis 2008 high of 2008 tons.

Last year, the year-on-year decline in a small per capita steel consumption in Asia, from 266.4 kg to 261.0 kg, which is to lower global per capita consumption. Outside China, and other major Asian countries and the area per capita steel consumption growth, which South Korea is the world’s highest per capita steel consumption country, 1118.8 kg, only one in the whole world more than 1000 kilograms of major steel-producing countries; China Taiwan came second with 837.1 kg, compared with last year’s 792.6 kg also have obvious growth; Japan is by 513.1 kg last year climbed to 513.1 kg; Another steel-producing countries India is only 59.4 kg, 58.8 kg slightly increase from a year earlier, but far below the global average, but it also shows the future of the country’s steel demand growth potential is tremendous.

In the Middle East steel consumption per capita in 2014 also keep rising momentum, 225.3 kg, 221.4 kg of slightly higher than the previous year; As per capita steel consumption of the lowest in the world, Africa is only 32.4 kg, but from a 31.9 kg is still slightly growing, so there are still a lot of room to grow in the future, although growth is very slow.

Nonetheless, last year’s global finished steel apparent consumption growth for five consecutive years, still reached 1.5373 billion tons, 1.5284 billion tons of slightly higher than the previous year. In 2014 China finished steel apparent consumption of 710.8 million tons, compared with last year’s 735.1 million tons (revised) fell 3.3%, it is also the first time since 1995, China’s steel consumption fell, a drag on growth of the global steel demand, at the same time also shows that China’s steel consumption began turning point. Although Asia’s other major steel-producing countries steel consumption growth, but influenced by China’s decline, Asian steel apparent consumption last year from 1.0195 billion tons to 1.0082 billion tons.