What links electric cars, urban skylines, beverage cans and solar farms stretching across a desert? The answer is aluminium, which is steadily tightening its grip on the modern economy, and the numbers tell a story of consistent, broad-based expansion. Global aluminium consumption in the end user sectors rose from 96.92 million tonnes in 2023 to 100.8 million tonnes in 2024 - a year-on-year increase of about 4.0 per cent. The pace is moderate but firm. Demand is projected to reach 104.01 million tonnes in 2025, up another 3.2 per cent, before climbing to 106.8 million tonnes in 2026, a further 2.7 per cent rise.

This is not a short-term spike. It reflects a structural shift driven by transportation, construction and the accelerating green transition that is embedding aluminium deeper into global supply chains. In 2025, aluminium use was led by transportation with a 28 per cent share, followed by building and construction at 22 per cent. Packaging accounted for 16 per cent, electrical and electronics 15 per cent, industrial applications 8 per cent, and the remaining 11 per cent was spread across other uses.

Transportation: The engine of expansion

If one sector is steering aluminium’s upward curve, it is transportation. Consumption in this segment is projected at 28.58 million tonnes in 2025, up from 27.52 million tonnes in 2024 and 26.29 million tonnes in 2023. That represents year-on-year growth of 4.7 per cent in 2024 and 3.9 per cent in 2025. The outlook for 2026 points to another 2.76 per cent increase. For more accurate 2026 data, download Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2026.

Automakers are intensifying aluminium use to reduce vehicle weight and improve efficiency. The rapid scale-up of electric vehicle production is adding structural strength to demand, as EVs require greater aluminium content for lightweighting and battery housings.