UK mineral statistics
MineralsUK – Statistics
The UK is an important producer of a range of minerals that are consumed in many sectors of the economy. Some 172.3 million tonnes of minerals were extracted from the UK landmass for sale in 2024. These can be broken down into the following main categories with percentages of total production in brackets:
- 118.8 million tonnes (69%) of crushed rock (for both construction and industrial uses)
- 38.8 million tonnes (22.5%) of sand and gravel
- 4.9 million tonnes (2.8%) of other construction minerals
- 8.4 million tonnes (4.9%) industrial minerals (other than those within crushed rock)
- 0.1 million tonnes (0.1%) of coal
- 1.4 million tonnes (0.8%) of oil and gas (oil equivalent)
A further 75.5 million tonnes, consisting mainly of oil and gas (oil equivalent), but also marine–dredged sand and gravel, were extracted from the UK Continental Shelf.
Minerals produced in the UK
| Thousand tonnes | |
|---|---|
| Energy minerals | |
| Coal: Deep-mined | 106 |
| Coal: Opencast | 1 |
| Oil: Onshore (a) | 1 114 |
| Oil: Offshore (a) | 26 905 |
| Gas: Onshore (oil equivalent) (b) | 181 |
| Gas: Offshore (oil equivalent) | 29 362 |
| Crushed rock (including industrial uses) (c) | 118 752 |
| Construction minerals (excluding crushed rock) | |
| Land-won sand & gravel (c) | 38 817 |
| Marine-dredged sand & gravel (d) | 16 955 |
| Clay & shale | 2 769 |
| Gypsum, natural (e) | 1 600 |
| Slate | 495 |
| Industrial minerals (excluding those included in crushed rock) | |
| Brine / Rock salt (e) | 2 324 |
| Potash (refined potassium chloride) | 0 |
| Polyhalite | 721 |
| Silica (Industrial) sands | 4 140 |
| Kaolin (china clay) (e) | 474 |
| Ball clay (e) | 714 |
| Fluorspar | 0 |
| Barytes | 30 |
| Other minerals (f) | 3 |
| UK Landmass | 172 345 |
| UK Continental Shelf | 75 498 |
| TOTAL | 247 843 |
(a) Includes condensates
(b) Includes colliery methane
(c) Includes an estimate for Northern Ireland
(d) An additional 1800 thousand tonnes of sand and gravel is produced for beach recharge, reclamation and fill applications.
(e) BGS estimate.
(f) Other minerals: lead, talc, gold and silver but excludes peat.
GB: Figures for Great Britain only.
Sources: UK Minerals Yearbook, British Geological Survey; Mineral Products Association, Ceramics UK, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
United Kingdom Minerals Yearbook
The United Kingdom Minerals Yearbook is an annual publication providing comprehensive statistical data on minerals production, consumption and trade, and includes commentary on the UK’s minerals industry.
It contains:
- essential guidance for decision makers
- reliable and up-to-date information
- authoritative commentary on current developments
It is of value to all those interested in the many facets of Britain’s minerals industry and its contribution to the national economy. This publication forms part of Britain’s continuous mining and quarrying record.
United Kingdom opencast coal statistics
BGS collated comprehensive, annual statistics on opencast coal for the whole of the UK until 2015, in collaboration with the Coal Authority and planning authorities. This continued a series published in the past by the Planning Officers’ Society.
Mineral extraction in Great Britain
The Office of National Statistics published an annual report on mineral extraction in Great Britain that was based on the Annual Minerals Raised Inquiry. The last survey published was Mineral extraction in Great Britain 2014.
2023 Aggregate Minerals Survey for Great Britain
The aggregate minerals surveys, provide in-depth and up-to-date information on regional and national sales, inter-regional flows, transportation, consumption and permitted reserves of primary aggregates. The Collation of the Results of the 2023 Aggregates Minerals Survey report is currently available.
Ownership of minerals in the UK
With the exception of energy minerals (oil, gas and coal) and precious metals (gold and silver), minerals are mostly in private ownership in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). Northern Ireland has a different minerals ownership regime: metallic and industrial minerals are in state ownership.
On private land in Great Britain, the ownership of mineral rights often lies with the surface owner. However, it is not uncommon for the rights to the surface and the minerals to be separated. It can sometimes be difficult to locate the mineral rights owner.
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