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So modern civilization currently requires the average human to consume roughly 3-4 times his body weight in steel per year. And given that steel production has roughly doubled in the last 20 years, this will probably still go up a fair deal.

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We don't really "consume" the steel. It doesn't disappear.

Iron actually is a consumable in some processes. For example, it burns pretty well. So it gets used in thermic lances. I'm not sure if anyone bothers trying to collect the resulting iron oxides and recycle those.

OK, I'll count burnt rusted iron as consumed. But we were talking about steel.

If population levels off I would imagine the need for steel would mostly level off also?

I assume the main use is in construction?

Per gp, it's consumption. Perhaps you haven't been eating enough steel to appreciate the demand.

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