World Mineral Production 2018 to 2022 is now available

BGS and its predecessor organisations have compiled production and trade statistics on a wide range of mineral commodities since 1913 and the latest edition of World Mineral Production is now available to download for free. This volume contains mineral production statistics for the five-year period 2018 to 2022, for more than 70 mineral commodities, by country and worldwide.

This volume provides essential mineral intelligence for:

• security of supply issue
• economic analyses
• environmental issues
• sustainable development planning
• regulation and policy issues
• commercial strategic planning

Highlights

• New mineral production data for 2022
• A revised platinum group metals table containing more detailed PGM data

The Russian conflict with Ukraine has caused every mineral commodity produced in Ukraine to decrease by at least 30 per cent and as much as 91 per cent in the case of copper. Many countries are trying to reduce their reliance on minerals sourced from Russia, but this can prove challenging as it is one of the largest mineral-producing nations in the world.

The increase in energy prices in 2022 across Europe has also affected the energy-dependent commodities in the alumina, primary aluminium and zinc producing companies. Alumina production in Europe dropped by more than 25 per cent.

Despite this, production of a few commodities increased considerably during 2022:

• Cobalt increased by more than 20 per cent on 2021

• Lithium production increased the most in 2022 at 27 per cent and by 49 per cent over a five-year period
• Global nickel production has increased 37 per cent in the past five years, driven by the demand for vehicle batteries
• Zirconium, which is vital for use in nuclear reactor fuel rods and components, increased by 26 per cent in 2022, as nations endeavoured to reduce carbon emissions and broaden energy sources

International interest

International interest in the security of supply of minerals continues to grow. The recently created UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, hosted by BGS, aims to collect and analyse information on the supply of critical minerals vital to the UK’s economic success and national security. It will guide decision making and research on critical raw materials, with increasing focus on those required for the clean energy transition.

Previous volumes

Previous editions of World Mineral Production can be found on the Minerals UK website. The information is compiled from a wide range of sources including government departments, national statistical offices, specialist commodity authorities, company reports and a network of contacts throughout the world.

Contact

For more information please contact Clive Mitchell or Naomi Idoine.