Gitnux/Report 2026

Mineral Industry Statistics

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Mineral Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The mineral industry at a glance

The mineral industry remains strategically important: U.S. nonfuel mineral production reached $112 billion in 2025, while global critical-mineral supply chains became more concentrated and geopolitically exposed.

$112B[75]
U.S. nonfuel production, 2025
1.82M[75]
U.S. related employment, 2025
70%[24]
Top refined supplier share, 2025
1.5 TWh[24]
Global battery demand, 2025
Market size
U.S. nonfuel mineral production was valued at $112 billion in 2025, up from $106 billion in 2024. Domestic raw materials and recycled materials supported mineral materials worth $950 billion, while downstream industries using those materials generated an estimated $4.09 trillion in value.[75]
Forecast & CAGR
The IEA reports that the market value of mineral production is projected to increase 1.5-fold by 2040, driven by energy-transition demand, with Latin America leading projected mining growth and China remaining dominant in refining. The IEA also reports that demand for key energy minerals has grown at close to 10% annually on average in recent years.[24]
Market share & regions
In the United States, the West led metal and metallic-mineral production with an estimated $32.8 billion in 2025, while the South led industrial minerals excluding aggregates at $16 billion. Globally, Indonesia and China together accounted for more than three-quarters of supply growth in key energy minerals between 2023 and 2025.[75][24]
Segmentation
U.S. 2025 nonfuel mineral production comprised $38.1 billion of metals and $73.7 billion of industrial minerals. Industrial minerals were led by crushed stone at 36% of segment value, cement at 18%, construction sand and gravel at 17%, and industrial sand and gravel at 6%.[75]
Key players & concentration
Refining remains highly concentrated: the average share of the top refined supplier across key energy minerals reached 70% in 2025, up from 68% in 2020. Excluding rare earths, the average share of the top refining country reached 72% in 2025, compared with 70% in 2023.[24]
Pricing
Mineral prices were mixed in 2025. Bismuth prices increased by 270%, while antimony and germanium rose by 144% and 106%; lithium, manganese, and nickel prices declined by 24%, 19%, and 11%, respectively. Gold and silver prices increased by 38% and 34%.[75]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Energy technologies drove approximately 75% of growth in demand for key energy minerals in 2025, up from 70% in 2024, while global battery demand grew by more than 35% to over 1.5 TWh. The main challenges are concentrated refining, export controls, geopolitical disruption, and slow project-development timelines.[24]
Consumer behavior & competition
Demand is increasingly shaped by electric vehicles, battery storage, renewable power, grids, solar panels, wind turbines, and permanent magnets. Battery demand exceeded 1.5 TWh in 2025, while demand for key energy minerals grew at close to 10% annually on average in recent years, versus roughly 1% for base metals.[24]
M&A
Mining M&A in 2025 was driven by the energy transition, critical minerals, and record gold prices, with acquisition-led growth preferred because greenfield projects are costly and complex. The proposed Anglo American–Teck Resources merger was a notable copper-focused transaction, while competition for high-quality copper assets remained intense.
Regulation
The U.S. Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals contains 60 mineral commodities. In 2025, the United States was 100% net-import reliant for 13 critical mineral commodities, while another 20 had net import reliance of at least 50%.[75]
Latest news
The IEA reports that Chinese export controls expanded in 2025 to heavy rare earths and battery-supply-chain materials, including cathode materials, cathode precursors, graphite anode materials, and related equipment and technologies. Full disruption of battery-grade graphite trade could place more than $300 billion per year of downstream production outside China at risk.[24]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Mineral Industry

The leading companies in the mineral industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Barrick Mining Corporation leads Gitnux's 2026 mineral ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with 3.26 million ounces of gold and 220,000 tonnes of copper produced in 2025. BHP is the highest-ranked resources producer at 9.1, driven by producing iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal and potash.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in gold & copper mining

    Barrick Mining Corporation

    CA

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Gold & copper mining

    Why we picked it: Its Gold and copper mining segment is measurable through 2025 output volumes and revenue growth 31% signal.

    See in ranking ↓Visit barrick.com ↗

  2. Leader in diversified mining

    BHP

    AU

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Diversified mining

    Why we picked it: Its diversified mining segment is defined by iron ore, copper, coal and potash production footprint.

    See in ranking ↓Visit bhp.com ↗

  3. Leader in base metals & energy commodities

    Glencore

    CH

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Base metals & energy commodities

    Why we picked it: Its metals, minerals, energy commodities and recycling mix supports multiple commodity lines and margins.

    See in ranking ↓Visit glencore.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the mineral industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Barrick Mining Corporation

Gold & copper mining · CA

9.2
2

BHP

Diversified mining · AU

9.1
3

Glencore

Base metals & energy commodities · CH

8.9
4

Antofagasta

Copper-focused mining · GB

8.9
5

Rio Tinto

Multi-commodity mining · GB

8.9
6

Maaden

Phosphates, aluminium, gold and copper · SA

8.8
7

Southern Copper

Copper, molybdenum, zinc and silver mining · US

8.6
8

Vale

Iron ore, nickel, copper and manganese · BR

8.2
9

Anglo American

Copper, iron ore, manganese and crop nutrients · GB

8.2
10

KGHM

Copper, silver, nickel and precious metals · PL

8.2

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the mineral industry. In Mineral Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mineral-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Lead production

China leads with 2.0M metric tonnes.

China2.0M metric tonnes
Australia472K metric tonnes
Mexico374K metric tonnes
Peru273K metric tonnes
United States263K metric tonnes
source-verifiedworld-mining-data.info

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology deployment trends concentrate on cloud platforms and automation, while generative AI adoption rises from 50.6% (July 2024) to 28.4% (July 2026) among U.S. mining workers.

AI in the mineral industry

  • 14% higher mining-domain knowledge test performance was reported for the MiningGPT 7-billion-parameter model than for its parent model in a 2024 study.[1]
  • 84% of mining companies reported cloud-based platforms among their most deployed technologies in 2023.[2]
  • 49% of mining-industry respondents said AI and analytics would have the biggest impact on mining over the following 15 years.[2]
  • 65.4% of U.S. workers in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction used generative AI for work in July 2025.[3]
  • 50.6% of U.S. workers in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction used generative AI for work in July 2024.[3]
  • 28.4% of U.S. workers in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction used generative AI for work in July 2026.[3]

Automation in the mineral industry

  • 72% of mining service providers’ monitoring-data collection was automated in 2024.[4]
  • 1,070 autonomous haul trucks were operating globally in 2022, according to data cited by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.[5]
  • 68% of mine owners’ monitoring-data collection was automated in 2024.[4]
  • 17% of mining service providers fully automated their monitoring-data collection in 2024.[4]
  • 50 autonomous trucks were remotely controlled from Rio Tinto’s Perth operations centre, according to a 2024 mining-technology industry report.[6]
  • 706 autonomous haul trucks were operating in Australia in 2022, according to data cited by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.[5]

Digital Transformation in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 44% had a digital-transformation strategy and were actively taking steps forward in 2025.[7]
  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 20% did not have a digital-transformation road map in 2025.[7]
  • U.S. mining firms recorded a 70.90% digitalization rate in the latest federal business-technology survey.[8]
  • Mining and metals executives ranked process intelligence, data mining and robotic-process automation as a digital priority for 56% of respondents in 2024.[9]
  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 28% were developing a digital-transformation strategy in 2025.[7]

Technology Adoption in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global mining and metals companies, 48% said artificial intelligence would have the greatest impact on increasing metal supplies over the next five years in 2023.[10]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 31% identified 5G networks as one of the two technologies most likely to increase metal supplies over the next five years in 2023.[10]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 17% identified autonomous steel production, such as autonomous vehicles, among the two technologies with the greatest expected supply impact in 2023.[10]
  • Nevada mining association members reported 40.4% adoption of cloud computing, 35.3% adoption of encryption and cybersecurity, and 33.8% adoption of IoT and connected devices in 2021.[11]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 21% identified technologies that enhance recovery from recycled materials as a leading supply-enabling technology in 2023.[10]

Cloud Computing in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Global mining executives expected high-power computing and cloud to affect their businesses within five to ten years for 92.2% of respondents.[12]
  • Mining executives identified cloud adoption as a digital priority for 12% of respondents planning investments over the next one to two years in 2024.[9]
  • Global mining executives said high-power computing and cloud would affect their businesses within one year for 52.6% of respondents in the Mining Journal survey.[12]
  • U.S. mining businesses reported a 37.05% cloud-computing adoption rate in the federal business-technology survey.[8]

Big Data in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Mining executives expected big data and predictive analytics to affect their businesses within five to ten years for 95.7% of respondents.[12]
  • Mining executives said big data and predictive analytics could affect their businesses within one year for 40.5% of respondents in the Mining Journal survey.[12]
  • Chilean mining companies reported that 7.52% analyzed large volumes of data from sensors or smart devices in the sectoral Industry 4.0 study.[13]
  • Global mining and metals companies ranked data analytics among the two technologies most likely to increase metal supplies, with 42% selecting it in 2023.[10]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data-management gaps persist, with 61% of mining respondents lacking a data-management framework in 2023, while 72% of mine-owner condition-monitoring data was collected automatically in 2024.

Business intelligence in the mineral industry

  • 7.9% of Canadian firms supporting mining, oil and gas used integrated Internet-of-Things systems in 2022.[14]
  • 11.8% of Canadian mining firms used design or information-control technologies in 2022.[14]
  • 26.5% of Canadian firms supporting mining, oil and gas used business-intelligence technologies in 2022.[14]
  • 6.1% of Canadian firms supporting mining, oil and gas used artificial-intelligence technologies in 2022.[14]
  • 5.8% of Canadian firms supporting mining, oil and gas used robotics in 2022.[14]
  • 20.1% of Canadian mining firms used business-intelligence technologies in 2022.[14]

Data analytics in the mineral industry

  • 77% of mining-service-provider condition-monitoring data collection was expected to be automated within two years of the 2024 survey.[4]
  • 61% of mining respondents lacked a data-management framework in 2023.[15]
  • 26% of mining respondents were very ready to leverage cloud technology in 2023.[15]
  • 72% of mine-owner condition-monitoring data was collected automatically in 2024.[4]
  • 80% of mining professionals surveyed by Seequent considered data management highly or critically important to their organisation in 2023.[15]
  • 27% of mining professionals’ working time was spent on data-related activities in 2023.[15]

Data Quality in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% identified real-time access to datasets in a usable format as their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[16]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 50% expressed high confidence in their organisation’s ability to manage data quality in 2023.[16]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 36% identified knowing they had the most current and best-quality data as their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[16]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% rated unmanaged historical data as a significant data-management challenge in 2023.[16]
  • Across mining respondents globally, 33% said they lacked the necessary information to make data-driven decisions in 2023.[16]

Data Governance in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across geoprofessionals without an established framework globally, 56% planned to obtain one within three years in 2023.[16]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 45% reported having an established data chain of custody in 2023.[16]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% reported having an established data-management framework in 2023.[16]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 29% said a single source of truth was the most important expected outcome from resolving data-management issues in 2023.[15]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 14% said reporting tools showing who accessed or edited data were their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[16]

KPIs in the mineral industry

  • 35% of Australian mining executives surveyed in 2013 agreed their organisations were aligned on performance drivers and KPIs.[17]
  • 0.37 was Rio Tinto’s all-injury frequency rate per 200,000 hours worked in 2024.[18]
  • 56% of Asian mining executives surveyed in 2013 agreed their organisations were aligned on critical behaviours.[17]
  • 5 work-related fatalities were recorded by Rio Tinto in 2024.[18]
  • 64% of Asian mining executives surveyed in 2013 agreed their organisations were aligned on strategic priorities and trade-offs.[17]
  • 1.60 was Anglo American’s total recordable injury frequency rate in 2024.[19]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Energy minerals dominate supply growth: energy technologies drove about 75% of growth in demand for key energy minerals in 2025, up from 70% in 2024.

Growth in the mineral industry

  • 369,067 tonnes was Lundin Mining’s record copper production in 2024 across its operations.[20]
  • 1% was Rio Tinto’s copper-equivalent production growth in 2024, while sales volumes increased 3%.[21]
  • 2% was real investment growth in critical-minerals mining in 2024 after adjusting for cost inflation globally.[22]
  • 40% was MMG’s EBITDA increase in 2024 to US$2.05 billion, supported partly by the acquired Khoemac a u mine.[23]
  • 3% is Rio Tinto’s targeted compound annual growth rate for copper-equivalent production over the decade from its Oyu Tolgoi, Simandou and lithium projects.[21]
  • 3% was MMG’s revenue growth in 2024 to US$4.5 billion across its mining operations.[23]

Differentiation in the mineral industry

  • 43% was China’s approximate share of global copper refining in 2024.[24]
  • 69% was China’s approximate share of global lithium refining in 2024.[24]
  • 95% was China’s approximate share of global manganese refining in 2024.[24]
  • 90% of refined-material supply growth from 2020 to 2024 came from the leading single supplier, mainly Indonesia for nickel and China for cobalt, graphite and rare earths.[24]
  • 78% was China’s approximate share of global cobalt refining in 2024.[24]
  • 86% was the average share of the top three refining countries for key energy minerals in 2024, up from 82% in 2020.[24]

Mergers and acquisitions in the mineral industry

  • 29.8 million metric tons of copper, nickel and zinc reserves and resources were acquired in qualifying 2024 transactions.[25]
  • 174 mining companies raised US$27.3 billion through 222 public equity offerings and private placements in 2025.[26]
  • 180 mining-sector M&A transactions worth US$89 billion were recorded in 2025 for deals above US$25 million.[26]
  • US$1.52 billion was the maximum consideration in Lundin Mining’s 2024 sale of Neves-Corvo and Zinkgruvan to Boliden.[20]
  • US$3.2 billion was raised by Zijin Gold in 2025 in the largest gold-mining IPO in history.[26]
  • 62 qualifying mining deals worth US$26.54 billion were recorded globally in 2024.[25]

Strategic partnerships in the mineral industry

  • 49.99% is Rio Tinto’s agreed interest in the Salar de Maricunga lithium joint venture with Codelco in Chile.[18]
  • US$500 million is Rio Tinto’s planned construction funding for Maricunga if the partners approve development.[18]
  • US$438 million had been invested by Rio Tinto in Winu through June 2024, including exploration and project spending.[18]
  • US$4.1 billion was the total consideration agreed by BHP and Lundin Mining to jointly acquire Filo Corp. and develop a copper district.[27]
  • 30% is Sumitomo Metal Mining’s agreed equity share of Rio Tinto’s Winu copper-gold project in Western Australia.[18]
  • US$1.2 billion is the initial four-year investment planned for the 50-50 ADQ–Orion metals-and-mining joint venture announced in 2025.[28]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce constraints remain a factor in capacity planning, with 90% of U.S. mining and extraction employers reporting at least some difficulty hiring in 2024.

Hiring in the mineral industry

  • 2,098 new employees were hired by AngloGold Ashanti in 2024, globally.[29]
  • 80% of U.S. mining and extraction employers described hiring as somewhat difficult in 2024, United States.[30]
  • 12% of hires at Rio Tinto’s Havre-Saint-Pierre mining facilities were women in 2022, Quebec, Canada.[18]
  • 90% of U.S. mining and extraction employers reported at least some difficulty hiring in 2024, United States.[30]
  • 22 people were hired at Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium’s Havre-Saint-Pierre mining facilities in 2022, Quebec, Canada.[18]

Employee retention in the mineral industry

  • 88% was Compass Minerals’ voluntary employee retention rate in fiscal 2024, companywide.[31]
  • 15.60% was Sibanye-Stillwater’s employee turnover rate at its South African platinum-group-metals operations in 2024.[32]
  • 1% was AngloGold Ashanti’s voluntary turnover rate in 2025, excluding Kibali.[29]
  • 12% was Compass Minerals’ voluntary employee turnover rate in fiscal 2024, companywide.[31]
  • 17.30% was Sibanye-Stillwater’s employee turnover rate at its South African gold operations in 2024.[32]

Remote Work in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, 55.6% of mining companies reported applying remote work during the pandemic, according to a survey referring to 2020.[33]
  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, 34.5% introduced remote work in main-value-chain positions such as extraction, processing, and maintenance, according to a survey referring to 2020.[33]
  • In the U.S. mining industry, about 16% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[34]
  • 100% of surveyed large-scale mining companies in Chile adopted virtual work in administration and support areas during the COVID-19 period, according to a survey referring to 2020.[33]
  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, 57.1% expected to maintain remote work in some positions after the pandemic, according to a survey referring to 2020.[33]

Hybrid Work in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • 2.4% of U.S. construction and extraction workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[34]
  • 76% of mining, quarrying, and oil-and-gas workers surveyed globally considered hybrid or remote work in an international relocation destination appealing in 2025.[35]
  • 3.4% of U.S. farming, fishing and forestry workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[34]
  • 16% of U.S. mining workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[34]

Upskilling in the mineral industry

  • $7.99 million was spent by AngloGold Ashanti on training and development in 2024, globally.[29]
  • 2,818 average training hours were provided to Sibanye-Stillwater non-graded learners through mining learnerships in 2024, South Africa.[36]
  • 19 average training hours per employee were recorded by AngloGold Ashanti in 2023, globally.[29]
  • $8.62 million was spent by AngloGold Ashanti on training and development in 2025, excluding Kibali.[29]
  • 8.49 average training hours per employee were recorded by AngloGold Ashanti in 2025, excluding Kibali.[29]

Employee Engagement in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • At Mineral Resources Limited, 70% employee engagement was recorded in the FY2024 annual survey, three percentage points above the reported industry average of 67%.[37]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 88% of employees agreed that they understood how their work contributed to company goals in a benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[38]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 67% of employees were engaged in a Culture Amp benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[38]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, the median employee net promoter score was 4 in a Culture Amp benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[38]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 23% of employees were considering or actively seeking another job in a benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[38]

DEI in the mineral industry

  • 18.9% of Rio Tinto’s operations and general-support workforce were women in 2024, globally.[18]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Technical support satisfaction appears high in customer surveys, including 93% of TOMRA Mining customers satisfied with the technical-support team in Q1 2024.

Customer experience in the mineral industry

  • 93% of surveyed TOMRA Mining customers were satisfied with the technical-support team and service-engineer work in the first quarter of 2024.[39]
  • 99.22% customer satisfaction was reported by Zijin Mining in 2021 across its mineral products business in China and other operating regions.[40]
  • 100% customer satisfaction was reported across Banpu’s surveyed businesses in 2021, including its mining operations.[41]
  • 100% customer satisfaction was reported for Banpu’s coal-mining customers in Thailand and other operating regions in 2024.[41]
  • +57 was TOMRA Mining’s Net Promoter Score in the first quarter of 2024 among surveyed mining customers internationally.[39]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Mining-media traffic is measurable: Mining.com recorded 6 minutes 25 seconds average visit duration in September 2026.

Digital marketing in the mineral industry

  • 58.54% of Mining.com desktop traffic came directly to the site in September 2026.[42]
  • 24.36% of Mining.com visits came from India in September 2026.[42]
  • 11.75% of Mining.com visits came from Australia in September 2026.[42]
  • 4.5% click-through rate was reported for SME’s mining e-newsletter in 2024.[43]
  • 6 minutes 25 seconds was Mining.com’s average visit duration in September 2026.[42]

Branding in the mineral industry

  • $6.154 billion was Glencore’s brand value in the 2025 Mining, Metals & Minerals 50 comparison.[44]
  • $4.365 billion was Rio Tinto’s brand value in the 2026 Mining, Metals & Minerals 50 ranking.[44]
  • $3.381 billion was Nippon Steel’s brand value in the 2025 Mining, Metals & Minerals 50 comparison.[44]
  • $5.062 billion was BHP’s brand value in the 2025 Mining, Metals & Minerals 50 comparison.[44]
  • $4.983 billion was BHP’s brand value in the 2026 Mining, Metals & Minerals 50 ranking.[44]

Social media in the mineral industry

  • 29.5 thousand X followers were recorded for Newmont in the mining social-momentum ranking captured on November 8, 2026.[45]
  • 92 social-heat points were recorded for First Majestic Silver across four platforms during the tracked week in 2026.[45]
  • 1.13% seven-day X engagement was recorded for First Majestic Silver in the ranking captured on November 8, 2026.[45]
  • 174.8 thousand X followers were recorded for Glencore in the mining social-momentum ranking captured on November 8, 2026.[45]
  • 95 social-heat points were recorded for Banyan Gold across four platforms during the tracked week in 2026.[45]

Influencer Marketing in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • In 2026, Cory Rockwell’s underground-mining TikTok content had accumulated 5 million likes, providing a sector-specific audience benchmark for employee and operator advocacy.[46]
  • In 2026, Paula Mineria’s mining-related TikTok content had generated 1.6 million likes across audiences in Colombia, Japan, Chile, Panama, Canada and the United States.[46]
  • In 2026, Colombian mining and metallurgy student Paula Mineria had 110,600 TikTok followers, illustrating the reach of mining-focused influencer content.[46]
  • In 2026, Cory Rockwell’s most-watched underground-mining video reached 6.9 million views, demonstrating the potential scale of employee-led influencer content in mining.[46]
  • In 2026, underground mining influencer Cory Rockwell had 117,100 TikTok followers, using videos about explosives, haul trucking, bolting and underground work.[46]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Automation links to throughput in condition monitoring: 45% of mine owners said automation enabled more condition-monitoring projects per year in 2024.

Process optimization in the mineral industry

  • 45% of mine owners said automation enabled them to execute more condition-monitoring projects per year in 2024.[4]
  • 44% of mining-service providers said automation enabled them to execute condition-monitoring projects more cost-effectively in 2024.[4]
  • 56% of mining-service providers increased the number of condition-monitoring parameters measured through automation during 2022–2024.[4]
  • 44% of mining-service providers said automation enabled them to execute more condition-monitoring projects per year in 2024.[4]
  • 32% of mine owners increased the number of condition-monitoring parameters measured through automation during 2022–2024.[4]

Operational efficiency in the mineral industry

  • Glencore’s own-sourced nickel production was 82,300 tonnes in 2024, 16% lower than in 2023.[47]
  • Gudai-Darri iron-ore operations reached a 50 million-tonne-per-year production rate during 2024 in Western Australia.[18]
  • Glencore produced 489,000 tonnes of copper in the second half of 2024, 6% more than in the first half.[47]
  • Rio Tinto produced 248,000 tonnes of refined copper attributable to its operations in 2024, 42% more than in 2023.[18]
  • Geita Gold Mine’s planned processing capacity used for its 2026 operating budget was 5.5 million tonnes per year.[21]

Quality management in the mineral industry

  • 99.92% of Perron fire-assay blank samples analyzed by Laboratoires Expert passed quality control between November 2017 and April 2025.[48]
  • Fortnum’s field-duplicate quality-control ratio was 1 sample for every 316 drill-hole samples from July 2015 through June 2024.[49]
  • Fortnum’s laboratory-pulp-check ratio was 1 sample for every 122 drill-hole samples from July 2015 through June 2024.[49]
  • 17,736 certified standards and blanks were included in Fortnum’s fire-assay quality-control review from July 2015 through June 2024.[49]
  • Pueblo Viejo’s comparative gold-assay analysis showed analytical bias within plus or minus 0.3% between its laboratories from January 2023 through May 2025.[50]

Supply chain in the mineral industry

  • 30% of companies responding to the IEA-OECD survey reported full supply-chain coverage from their critical-mineral traceability systems in 2026.[24]
  • Diversified rare-earth refining capacity announced outside the dominant supplier equals about two-thirds of expected mined supply by 2035.[24]
  • Planned magnet-production capacity outside the dominant supplier represents only one-third of projected rare-earth magnet demand by 2035.[24]
  • The three largest producing countries accounted for an average 86% of supply of copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements in 2024.[24]
  • The three largest producing countries’ average share of selected critical-mineral supply rose from 82% in 2020 to 86% in 2024.[24]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the mining and metals sector (sector benchmark)

  • 13.5% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s small-scale mining companies in 2019.[51]
  • 75.0% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s large-scale mining companies in 2019.[51]
  • Contractors represented 54% of Queensland’s mining-industry workforce in fiscal year 2022–2023.[52]
  • 30% of mining and metals companies rated outsourcing more functions and capabilities to third-party specialists a top or significant cybersecurity talent priority in 2023.[53]
  • 54.0% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s medium-sized mining companies in 2019.[51]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Prices stayed volatile across commodities in 2025, including bismuth up 270% and gold up 38%.

Pricing strategy in the mineral industry

  • $4.18 per pound was Lundin Mining’s realised copper price in 2024, globally.[20]
  • $3.98 per pound was BHP’s average realised copper price in fiscal 2024, globally.[27]
  • $93 per tonne was Vale’s average realised iron-ore fines price in the fourth quarter of 2024, globally.[54]
  • $1.0 per tonne was Vale’s average premium for iron-ore fines in the fourth quarter of 2024, globally.[54]
  • 78% of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron-ore sales were priced against the shipment-month average index price in 2024, globally.[18]

Cost reduction in the mineral industry

  • 18% was the reduction in BHP Escondida’s copper unit cost from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025, Chile.[27]
  • US$1.18 per pound was BHP Copper South Australia’s unit cost in fiscal 2025, Australia.[27]
  • 4% was AngloGold Ashanti’s increase in group total cash costs per ounce in 2024, to US$1,157 per ounce, globally.[29]
  • 10% was Vale’s year-on-year reduction in iron-ore fines C1 cash cost in the fourth quarter of 2024, globally.[54]
  • 2% was the increase in Kumba Iron Ore’s total operating expenses in 2024, below South Africa’s 4.6% consumer-price inflation rate.[55]

Profitability in the mineral industry

  • US$2.75 billion was AngloGold Ashanti’s adjusted EBITDA in 2024, globally.[29]
  • US$817 million was Vale’s recurring free cash flow in 2024, globally.[54]
  • US$942 million was AngloGold Ashanti’s free cash flow in 2024, globally.[29]
  • US$1,611 per ounce was AngloGold Ashanti’s all-in sustaining cost in 2024, globally.[29]
  • US$5.8 billion was AngloGold Ashanti’s revenue from product sales in 2024, globally.[29]

Financial planning in the mineral industry

  • US$735 million was Lundin Mining’s 2025 capital-expenditure guidance, globally.[20]
  • US$3.711 billion was BHP’s capital expenditure in fiscal 2024, globally.[27]
  • 60% was Rio Tinto’s ordinary-dividend payout ratio in 2024, globally.[18]
  • US$6.0 billion was Vale’s capital expenditure in 2024, globally.[54]
  • US$205 million of Lundin Mining’s 2025 capital-expenditure guidance was expansionary capital, globally.[20]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Aftermarket and services represent a large share for equipment suppliers, with 66% of Epiroc Group revenues coming from aftermarket activities in 2025.

Product development in the mineral industry

  • 2,700 or more Sandvik Group employees were active in research and development and quality assurance.[56]
  • 12% of mining-technology patents concerned environmental technologies during 1991–2015.[57]
  • 25% of mining-technology patents concerned exploration during 1991–2015.[57]
  • 0.5% of mining-industry revenues were spent on research and development, according to cited industry estimates.[57]
  • 0.4% of mining firms filed patents, according to cited industry estimates.[57]

Product lifecycle in the mineral industry

  • 31% of nickel demand was supplied by recycled material in 2023.[24]
  • 24% of aluminium demand was supplied by recycled material in 2015.[24]
  • 26% of aluminium demand was supplied by recycled material in 2023.[24]
  • 20% of theoretically available lithium battery-metal feedstock was recovered through recycling in 2023.[24]
  • 40% less new mine development for copper and cobalt by 2050 could result from recycling in the Announced Pledges Scenario.[24]

After-sales in the mineral industry

  • 66% of Epiroc Group revenues came from aftermarket activities in 2025.[58]
  • 55% of Epiroc Equipment & Service revenues came from service in 2025.[58]
  • 42% of Epiroc Group revenues came from service and digitalisation activities in 2025.[58]
  • 95% of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions mining sales were made directly to customers in 2024.[59]
  • 63,607 MSEK was Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions revenue in 2024.[59]

Value proposition in the mineral industry

  • A tripling of rare-earth prices would increase a car's cost by approximately 0.1%.[24]
  • 10%–15% of transformer and power-cable prices are attributable to copper.[24]
  • 15% of surveyed nickel companies reported receiving a price premium for differentiated material.[22]
  • A tripling of battery-material prices would increase electric-vehicle and storage-system prices by approximately 5%.[24]
  • Around 3% of an average electric vehicle's price is attributable to critical minerals.[24]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

ESG disclosure remains uneven, with fewer than five of 25 major critical-mineral companies consistently disclosing site-level ESG data.

Sustainability in the mineral industry

  • 7% of global greenhouse-gas emissions are estimated to come from mining activities.[60]
  • Fewer than 10 of 25 major critical-mineral companies published data on land disturbed and rehabilitated.[22]
  • 16% of critical mining operations are located in water-stressed areas globally.[60]
  • 100% of the 25 major critical-mineral companies reported greenhouse-gas emissions.[22]
  • 40% or more was the increase in the number of major mining companies reporting community investment, female workforce share and water discharge data.[22]

ESG in the mineral industry

  • Only one-fifth of mining companies in EY’s 2024 assessment had set Scope 3 emissions-reduction targets.[9]
  • Less than five of 25 major critical-mineral companies consistently disclosed site-level ESG data.[22]
  • 25 major mining companies were assessed by the IEA for critical-mineral ESG performance.[22]
  • 728 health and safety violations were recorded at AMMC in Kazakhstan during early 2024.[57]
  • 99% of mining companies covered by EY’s 2024 barometer reported climate-risk information.[9]

Ethics in the mineral industry

  • Fewer than five of 25 major critical-mineral companies clearly disclosed supply-chain risks such as potential child labor.[22]
  • 10 regulatory actions against irresponsible conduct by mining companies were recorded globally in 2023.[61]
  • 17 gender-related allegations were recorded across transition-mineral mining operations in the tracker’s full historical dataset.[62]
  • 125 allegations involving water access or pollution were recorded across transition-mineral mining operations from 2010 to 2023.[62]
  • 23 water-pollution or water-access allegations were recorded for transition-mineral mining operations in 2023.[61]

CSR in the mineral industry

  • About 90% of 25 major critical-mineral companies reported community investment data.[22]
  • 14% of allegations in the transition-minerals database cut across worker and local-community impacts.[62]
  • About 90% of 25 major critical-mineral companies reported the female share of their workforce.[22]
  • 41 environmental allegations were recorded in 2023 across transition-mineral mining operations.[61]
  • 23 water-pollution or water-access allegations were recorded in 2023 across transition-mineral mining operations.[61]

Circular economy in the mineral industry

  • 7,100 thousand tonnes was the weighted average mine-waste generation reported by major critical-mineral companies in 2021.[22]
  • 7,600 thousand tonnes was the weighted average mine-waste generation reported by major critical-mineral companies in 2019.[22]
  • 8,400 thousand tonnes was the weighted average mine-waste generation reported by major critical-mineral companies in 2023.[22]
  • 5.5 kilograms of mine waste per kilogram of mineral was the weighted average in 2019.[22]
  • 8.4 kilograms of mine waste per kilogram of mineral was the weighted average in 2021.[22]

Carbon footprint in the mineral industry

  • 29.5 million tonnes of Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions were reported by major critical-mineral companies in 2024.[22]
  • 34 million tonnes of Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions were reported by major critical-mineral companies in 2020.[22]
  • 0.24 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent per tonne of mineral mined was the 2020 weighted average for major critical-mineral companies.[22]
  • 32.5 million tonnes of Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions were reported by major critical-mineral companies in 2022.[22]
  • 0.21 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent per tonne of mineral mined was the 2022 weighted average for major critical-mineral companies.[22]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade exposure is concentrated globally, with Asia importing nearly $1.37 trillion of critical minerals in 2024 and China representing 91% of global refined magnet rare-earth output in 2024.

Globalization in the mineral industry

  • Africa exported $176 billion of critical minerals in 2024.[73]
  • Asia imported nearly $1.37 trillion of critical minerals in 2024, representing almost 58% of global imports.[73]
  • Europe exported $667 billion of critical minerals in 2024.[73]
  • China represented 91% of global refined magnet rare-earth output in 2024.[24]
  • Global critical-mineral exports reached approximately $2.25 trillion in 2024.[73]

Cultural adaptation in the mineral industry

  • More than $80 million was spent with Indigenous and Traditional Owner businesses by BMA in FY2024.[27]
  • A$465 million was spent with 113 Indigenous vendors by BHP’s WA Iron Ore asset in FY2024.[27]
  • A$237 million was spent directly with 68 Traditional Owner vendors by BHP’s WA Iron Ore asset in FY2024.[27]
  • More than A$250 million was spent with 67 Traditional Owner businesses by BHP’s Western Australia Iron Ore operations in FY2025.[27]
  • More than 9,500 employees and contractors were associated with BMA’s Queensland operations in FY2024.[27]

Supplier management in the mineral industry

  • Vale spent US$9 billion on local purchases of products and services in Brazil in 2024.[54]
  • Vale suppliers carried out 1,500 social initiatives across Brazil in 2024 through the Sharing Program.[54]
  • Vale held 30 training sessions with local companies in Brazil in 2024.[54]
  • BHP paid US$26 billion to suppliers globally, according to its supplier data.[27]
  • Vale held more than 20 business-networking sessions with local companies in Brazil in 2024.[54]

Stakeholder management in the mineral industry

  • More than 390 Vale suppliers had carried out social initiatives through the Sharing Program by 2024.[54]
  • BHP invested $47.5 million in community initiatives across Western Australia in FY2024.[27]
  • BHP provided more than 50 community grants across Western Australian operating communities in FY2024.[27]
  • Vale’s Sharing Program had invested more than US$14.4 million in social initiatives since its launch in 2020.[54]
  • Vale’s Sharing Program invested approximately US$7.4 million in social initiatives across Brazil in 2024.[54]

Distribution channels in the mineral industry

  • Indonesia produced 9.9 million metric tons of bauxite in 2024, all consumed domestically because of an export ban.[74]
  • Indonesia’s mined-metal and metal-product exports included $8.0 billion of copper concentrates in 2024.[74]
  • Australia exported 74 million metric tons of thermal coal to China in 2024.[74]
  • The Americas exported $450 billion of critical minerals in 2024.[73]
  • Australia exported 766 million metric tons of iron ore, including pellets, to China in 2024.[74]

Key questions about the mineral industry

What is the market size of the mineral industry in the United States?
U.S. nonfuel mineral production was valued at $112 billion in 2025, up from $106 billion in 2024.
How fast is mineral production expected to grow over time?
The IEA projects mineral-production market value to increase 1.5-fold by 2040, driven by energy-transition demand. Demand for key energy minerals has grown at close to 10% annually on average in recent years.
Which companies lead the mineral industry?
Barrick Mining Corporation leads Gitnux's 2026 mineral ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with 3.26 million ounces of gold and 220,000 tonnes of copper produced in 2025. BHP is the highest-ranked resources producer at 9.1, driven by producing iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal and potash.
What technology shifts are most visible in mining and mineral operations?
Cloud and automated monitoring are prominent: 84% of mining companies reported cloud-based platforms among most deployed technologies in 2023. In 2024, 72% of mine-owner condition-monitoring data was collected automatically.
How concentrated is mineral refining and where does refining supply cluster?
Refining is highly concentrated: the average share of the top refined supplier across key energy minerals reached 70% in 2025. Excluding rare earths, the average share of the top refining country reached 72% in 2025.
How exposed is the U.S. mineral supply to net imports for critical minerals?
In 2025, the United States was 100% net-import reliant for 13 critical mineral commodities, while another 20 had net import reliance of at least 50%.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Mineral Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mineral-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Mineral Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/mineral-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Mineral Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mineral-industry-statistics.

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