Iron & Steel Production Index

Steel is the backbone of all physical infrastructure — tracks domestic production capacity.

Exclude COVID

114.7Index

Trend YoY growth is +1.9%, accelerating by 4 bps/year over the last 25Y. Deviations have remained above trend for 14 consecutive periods. Latest: +5.2%, 3.3 pp above trend, a 0.47σ deviation. The latest YoY reading is depressed by 4.4 pp due to an tough comparison base from Jul 1. At current levels, YoY would rise to +8.6% by Sep '26 as comparisons ease.

Level

YoY %

y = 0.8% + 4 bps/yr · t

Deviation from trend

Forecast

Projected value by forecast vintage (Index)

Projected value (Index)

Forecast made inDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26Dec '26Jan '27Feb '27Mar '27Apr '27May '27Jun '27Jul '27Aug '27MAPE
Dec '25104.0113.5113.9114.7113.6115.8120.0118.2119.3118.9115.5114.7114.5121.1127.0122.8124.4130.5129.4128.9134.568%
Jan '26109.7112.2112.8111.5113.4117.3115.3116.2115.5112.0111.0110.5116.7122.2117.9119.2124.8123.5122.8124.532%
Feb '26114.7114.1112.9115.1119.2117.3118.4117.9114.5113.7113.4119.9125.8121.5123.1129.1127.9127.4131.856%
Mar '26110.6111.5113.4117.3115.3116.1115.4111.9110.9110.5116.6122.1117.8119.1124.7123.4122.7124.323%
Apr '26111.7113.4117.3115.3116.2115.5112.0111.0110.5116.7122.2117.8119.2124.8123.5122.8124.530%
May '26116.8117.9115.9116.8116.1112.6111.6111.2117.3122.9118.6119.9125.6124.3123.6126.038%
Jun '26115.5114.6115.3114.4110.7109.6109.0114.8120.1115.7116.8122.1120.6119.8120.33%
Jul '26114.7115.4114.6111.0109.8109.3115.2120.5116.1117.2122.6121.2120.3121.0
Aug '26115.4114.6111.0109.8109.3115.2120.5116.1117.2122.6121.2120.3121.0

YoY change forecast

Forecast made inDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26Dec '26Jan '27Feb '27Mar '27Apr '27May '27Jun '27Jul '27Aug '27MAPE
Dec '25+2.6%+6.4%+6.7%+7.0%+7.3%+7.7%+8.0%+8.4%+8.7%+9.0%+9.4%+9.7%+10.0%+10.4%+10.7%+11.0%+11.4%+11.7%+12.0%+12.4%+12.7%68%
Jan '26+2.8%+5.1%+5.2%+5.3%+5.4%+5.6%+5.7%+5.8%+5.9%+6.0%+6.2%+6.3%+6.4%+6.5%+6.6%+6.7%+6.9%+7.0%+7.1%+7.2%32%
Feb '26+7.5%+6.4%+6.7%+7.0%+7.3%+7.6%+7.9%+8.1%+8.4%+8.7%+9.0%+9.3%+9.6%+9.9%+10.2%+10.5%+10.8%+11.0%+11.3%56%
Mar '26+3.1%+5.3%+5.4%+5.5%+5.7%+5.8%+5.9%+6.0%+6.1%+6.2%+6.3%+6.4%+6.5%+6.6%+6.8%+6.9%+7.0%+7.1%23%
Apr '26+5.5%+5.5%+5.6%+5.7%+5.8%+5.9%+6.0%+6.1%+6.3%+6.4%+6.5%+6.6%+6.7%+6.8%+6.9%+7.0%+7.2%30%
May '26+8.6%+6.1%+6.2%+6.4%+6.5%+6.6%+6.7%+6.9%+7.0%+7.1%+7.2%+7.4%+7.5%+7.6%+7.8%+7.9%38%
Jun '26+3.9%+5.0%+5.0%+4.9%+4.9%+4.8%+4.8%+4.7%+4.7%+4.6%+4.6%+4.5%+4.5%+4.4%+4.4%3%
Jul '26+5.2%+5.1%+5.1%+5.1%+5.1%+5.0%+5.0%+5.0%+5.0%+5.0%+4.9%+4.9%+4.9%+4.9%
Aug '26+5.1%+5.1%+5.1%+5.1%+5.0%+5.0%+5.0%+5.0%+5.0%+4.9%+4.9%+4.9%+4.9%

Forecasts use ordinary least-squares linear regression fitted to the YoY change series over a rolling 1Y window. Each row shows a vintage — the forecast as it would have appeared at that point in time. Projected values apply the forecasted YoY change to the prior year's level, chaining forward where actuals are unavailable. MAPE measures forecast accuracy against realized values. These are mechanical trend extrapolations, not economic models.