(Adds H1 data)
LONDON, July 22 (Reuters) - Global crude steel output fell 2 percent in the first half of the year, mainly due to continued weakness in top producer China and elsewhere in Asia, figures from the World Steel Association showed on Wednesday.
Global steel output in the first six months of the year dropped to 813 million tonnes with production in Asia, which accounts for 68 percent of the total, down 1.5 percent, according to the industry body's data.
Output in China, the world's top producer and consumer of the alloy, fell 1.3 percent in the first half to 410 million tonnes.
The declines were greater elsewhere in the region -- Japan was down 4.7 percent and South Korea off 4.9 percent while India bucked the weaker trend and grew 4.2 percent.
In other key regions, first half production edged up 0.5 percent in the European Union to 88.1 million tonnes while in North America it slid by 6.9 percent to 55.9 million.
In June, global output fell 2.4 percent to 136 million tonnes, compared with the same month last year, and Chinese output was down 0.8 percent to 69.0 million tonnes.