Gitnux/Report 2026

Mining & Metals Industry Statistics

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

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The mining & metals industry at a glance

The mining and metals industry is being reshaped by supply-chain security and energy-transition demand, while U.S. nonfuel mineral production reached $112 billion in 2025.

$112B[78]
U.S. nonfuel production, 2025
$38.1B[93]
U.S. metal production, 2025
77%[67]
Top-three mining share, 2024
+25%[94]
Metals prices forecast, 2026
Market size
U.S. nonfuel mineral production was valued at $112 billion in 2025, including $38.1 billion of metal production and $73.7 billion of industrial minerals. Mineral-reliant industries represented $4.09 trillion of U.S. economic value in 2025.[78][93]
Market share & regions
Critical-mineral supply remains geographically concentrated: the top three mining countries accounted for 77% of production for key energy minerals in 2024. China increased its share of global copper-smelting capacity from about 15% in 2005 to 50% in 2025.[67]
Segmentation
The industry spans metals and industrial minerals, with major value chains including steelmaking, base metals, precious metals, battery materials, rare earths, aggregates and cement minerals. In the United States in 2025, industrial minerals generated $73.7 billion of production value versus $38.1 billion for metals.[93]
Key players & concentration
Concentration is strongest in processing and refining rather than mining alone. Excluding rare earths, the average share of the top refining country rose to 72% in 2025 from 70% in 2023; China accounted for about 50% of global copper-smelting capacity in 2025.[67]
Pricing
The World Bank forecasts metals prices to rise 25% in 2026, with aluminum, copper and tin reaching record highs, before declining 3% in 2027. In the United States, gold and silver prices increased 38% and 34%, respectively, in 2025.[94][93]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is being supported by renewable power, electric vehicles, transmission networks, data centers and defense applications. Key challenges include supply disruptions, export controls, long permitting timelines and the higher cost of diversification: refining capital costs outside dominant suppliers are 20% to more than 150% higher, while operating costs average about 50% higher.[94][67]
Consumer behavior & competition
End-user competition is increasingly shaped by security of supply, traceability and lower-carbon sourcing, not only by spot price. The IEA reports that recycling could raise the average contribution of secondary supply for key energy minerals from about 10% today to nearly 20% by 2040, while China holds more than three-quarters of battery pre-treatment capacity and 90% of material-recovery capacity.[67]
M&A
Mining M&A remained concentrated in copper and gold in 2025. S&P Global reported nine announced deals valued above $1 billion, with the five largest being direct company acquisitions; the largest after the Anglo-Teck transaction was Coeur Mining’s $6.88 billion acquisition of New Gold, announced in November 2025.[30]
Regulation
The United States’ final 2025 critical-minerals list expanded from 50 to 60 minerals, adding materials including copper, uranium, phosphate, potash and metallurgical coal. U.S. policy also used the Defense Production Act in 2026 to support recoverable critical minerals and materials.[67][95]
Latest news
The latest industry outlook describes record returns for metals and mining in 2025, with value pools shifting toward gold and copper. In 2026, geopolitical conflict, trade restrictions and critical-mineral controls have continued to increase supply-chain risk and price volatility.[8][67]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Mining & Metals Industry

The leading companies in the mining & metals 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 mining & metals 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 bulk commodity miner at 9.1, backed by an operating margin of 39.47%.

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 segment is quantified by 2025 production volumes.

    See in ranking ↓Visit barrick.com ↗

  2. Leader in iron-ore mining

    BHP

    AU

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Iron-ore mining

    Why we picked it: Its diversified mining portfolio spans iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal and potash.

    See in ranking ↓Visit bhp.com ↗

  3. Leader in industrial metals trading

    Glencore

    CH

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Industrial metals trading

    Why we picked it: Its diversified model pairs production with commodity marketing across a wide set of inputs.

    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 mining & metals industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Barrick Mining Corporation

Gold & copper mining · CA

9.2
2

BHP

Iron-ore mining · AU

9.1
3

Glencore

Industrial metals trading · CH

8.9
4

Zijin Mining

Gold & copper mining · CN

8.9
5

Rio Tinto

Iron-ore mining · GB

8.9
6

Newmont

Gold, copper, silver, zinc and lead mining · US

8.6
7

Cameco

Uranium mining, processing and nuclear fuel · CA

8.3
8

Vale

Iron ore, nickel, copper and logistics · BR

8.3
9

KGHM Polska Miedź

Copper, silver, nickel and precious-metals mining · PL

8.2
10

Freeport-McMoRan

Copper, gold and molybdenum mining · US

8.1

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 mining & metals industry. In Mining & Metals Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mining-and-metals-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest mining & metals companies

Glencore leads with $247.5B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Glencore$247.5B
Rio Tinto$57.6B
BHP$51.3B
Zijin Mining$49.7B
Vale$38.4B
Barrick Mining Corporation$17.0B
source-verifiedglencore.com · riotinto.com · bhp.com · zijinmining.com · vale.com · barrick.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI and automation show up in adoption metrics, including 6.1% of firms adopting AI in 2022 and 50 autonomous trucks remotely controlled from Rio Tinto’s Perth centre.

AI in the mining & metals industry

  • 6.1% of firms supporting Canada’s mining, oil and gas industries adopted artificial intelligence in 2022.[1]
  • 40% of mineral-exploration professionals identified AI mineral targeting, database upgrades or collaborative cloud geoscience tools as top near-term technology focuses in 2025.[2]
  • 36% of mining and metals executives listed decision intelligence using AI or machine learning among their digital priorities for the next one to two years in 2023.[3]
  • 21% of mineral-exploration professionals used AI or machine-learning tools regularly in 2025.[2]
  • 7.3% of Canadian mining enterprises invested in artificial intelligence technology in 2023.[4]
  • 100% of mining companies in an IISD survey used software employing AI to recommend or take autonomous decisions.[5]

Automation in the mining & metals industry

  • 68% of mine owners’ condition-monitoring data collection was automated in 2024.[6]
  • 24% of mine owners fully automated their condition-monitoring data collection in 2024.[6]
  • 50 autonomous trucks were remotely controlled from Rio Tinto’s Perth operations centre, according to the 2024 mining automation report.[7]
  • 17% of mining service providers fully automated their condition-monitoring data collection in 2024.[6]
  • 4.2% of key mobile mining equipment units were autonomous, autonomous-ready or tele-remote in 2025.[8]
  • Less than 1% of key mobile mining equipment was autonomous, autonomous-ready or tele-remote in 2020.[8]

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

  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 28% were developing a digital-transformation strategy in 2025.[9]
  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 44% had a digital-transformation strategy and were actively taking steps forward in 2025.[9]
  • Mining and metals executives ranked process intelligence, data mining and robotic-process automation as a digital priority for 56% of respondents in 2024.[10]
  • U.S. mining firms recorded a 70.90% digitalization rate in the latest federal business-technology survey.[11]
  • Across metals companies surveyed globally, 20% did not have a digital-transformation road map in 2025.[9]

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

  • 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.[12]
  • Among global mining and metals companies, 21% identified technologies that enhance recovery from recycled materials as a leading supply-enabling technology in 2023.[12]
  • 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.[13]
  • 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.[12]
  • 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.[12]

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

  • 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.[14]
  • Mining executives identified cloud adoption as a digital priority for 12% of respondents planning investments over the next one to two years in 2024.[10]
  • U.S. mining businesses reported a 37.05% cloud-computing adoption rate in the federal business-technology survey.[11]
  • Global mining executives expected high-power computing and cloud to affect their businesses within five to ten years for 92.2% of respondents.[14]

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.[14]
  • Global mining and metals companies ranked data analytics among the two technologies most likely to increase metal supplies, with 42% selecting it in 2023.[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.[14]
  • Chilean mining companies reported that 9.02% performed big-data analysis in the sectoral Industry 4.0 study.[15]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data capability gaps are quantified: 33% of mining respondents said they lacked necessary information for data-driven decisions in 2023, while 14% flagged reporting tools showing data access as a challenge.

Business intelligence in the mining & metals industry

  • 18% of global metals companies had a business-intelligence initiative in progress in 2024.[9]
  • 15% of global metals companies were upgrading an existing customer-relationship-management system in 2024.[9]
  • 18% of global metals companies were offering an e-commerce option for customers in 2024.[9]
  • 54% of global metals companies said production was the area where automation had the greatest business impact in 2024.[9]
  • 16% of global metals companies were implementing a new customer-relationship-management system in 2024.[9]
  • 22% of global metals companies said quality was among the three areas where automation had the greatest impact in 2024.[9]

Data analytics in the mining & metals industry

  • 22% of nontechnical employees in global metals companies most commonly used Microsoft Power BI for business-data analytics in 2024.[9]
  • 56% of mining and metals leaders identified process intelligence, including data mining, and robotic-process automation as a digital priority for the next one to two years in 2024.[16]
  • 36% of mining and metals leaders identified decision intelligence using artificial intelligence or machine learning as a digital priority for the next one to two years in 2024.[16]
  • 59% of senior mining and metals leaders said digital initiatives were critical to organizational success in 2025.[17]
  • 16% of global metals companies were exploring possible uses of business-data analytics tools in 2024.[9]
  • 12% of global metals companies consistently used business-data analytics to make predictions about future outcomes in 2024.[9]

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

  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 50% expressed high confidence in their organisation’s ability to manage data quality in 2023.[18]
  • Across mining respondents globally, 33% said they lacked the necessary information to make data-driven decisions in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% rated unmanaged historical data as a significant data-management challenge in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% identified real-time access to datasets in a usable format as their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 36% identified knowing they had the most current and best-quality data as their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[18]

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

  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 30% reported having an established data-management framework in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals without an established framework globally, 56% planned to obtain one within three years in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 45% reported having an established data chain of custody in 2023.[18]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 29% said a single source of truth was the most important expected outcome from resolving data-management issues in 2023.[19]
  • Across geoprofessionals globally, 14% said reporting tools showing who accessed or edited data were their biggest collaboration challenge in 2023.[18]

KPIs in the mining & metals industry

  • 7.9 million tonnes was Zimplats' ore mined in 2024.[20]
  • 4 work-related fatalities were recorded by Glencore in 2024.[21]
  • 0.75 injuries per 200,000 hours worked was Kenmare Resources' all-injury frequency rate in 2025.[22]
  • 64% was Kenmare Resources' mine overall utilization rate in 2025.[22]
  • 645,900 ounces was Zimplats' 6E production in 2024.[20]
  • 78.7% was Zimplats' concentrator 6E recovery rate in 2024.[20]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Capacity and value moves are stated with target shifts, including Vale’s 6% increase to a 340–360 million tonnes annual iron-ore capacity target by 2026.

Growth in the mining & metals industry

  • 6% was Vale’s increase in iron-ore production capacity target to 340–360 million tonnes annually by 2026, from the 2024 base described by Moody’s.[23]
  • 13% was Rio Tinto’s increase in mined copper production to 697,000 tonnes in 2024 globally.[24]
  • 8% was BHP’s increase in copper production to more than 2 million tonnes in FY2025 globally.[25]
  • 75% was Rio Tinto’s increase in copper underlying EBITDA to US$3.437 billion in 2024 globally.[24]
  • 39% was Rio Tinto’s increase in copper segment revenue to US$9.275 billion in 2024 globally.[24]
  • 71% was Brazil’s increase in lithium spodumene-concentrate production between 2023 and 2024.[26]

Differentiation in the mining & metals industry

  • 38.4% was the recycled-content share of KME Mansfeld’s purchased materials in 2024 Germany.[27]
  • 64.0% was Kumba Iron Ore’s average iron content in high-grade iron ore in 2025 South Africa.[28]
  • 42% of Rio Tinto’s primary aluminium sold was value-added product in 2025 globally.[23]
  • US$295 per tonne was Rio Tinto’s average product premium for value-added aluminium sold in 2024.[29]
  • 2,500 field demonstrations supported Anglo American’s POLY4 crop-nutrient differentiation through 2025.[28]
  • US$86 per tonne was Rio Tinto’s average product premium over the five years through 2023.[29]

Mergers and acquisitions in the mining & metals industry

  • 192.5 million ounces was the gold reserve-and-resource turnover from qualifying mining acquisitions in 2024 globally.[30]
  • US$893 million was the value of First Majestic Silver’s merger agreement with Gatos Silver announced in 2024.[31]
  • 180 mining and metals transactions worth US$89 billion were recorded in 2025 for deals above US$25 million globally.[32]
  • US$16.1 billion was the value of 13 gold-miner acquisitions covered by FactSet in 2025 globally.[32]
  • 16 copper transactions worth US$5.7 billion were recorded in the metals-and-mining M&A market in 2024 globally.[33]
  • 32 silver deals worth US$3.0 billion were announced in 2024 globally.[31]

Strategic partnerships in the mining & metals industry

  • 30% was Sumitomo Metal Mining’s agreed equity share in Rio Tinto’s Winu copper-gold project in Western Australia in 2024.[24]
  • US$195 million was the upfront component of Sumitomo Metal Mining’s Winu investment in Western Australia in 2024.[24]
  • 2060 is the end year of the Codelco-SQM partnership for lithium production and marketing in Chile’s Salar de Atacama.[34]
  • US$204 million was the deferred-consideration component of Sumitomo Metal Mining’s Winu investment in Western Australia in 2024.[24]
  • 50% was each party’s ownership share in the Vicuña joint venture formed by BHP and Lundin Mining in 2025.[25]
  • US$50 million was Rio Tinto’s additional conditional funding commitment if the Salar de Maricunga joint venture delivers first lithium by 2030.[35]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce pressure is tied to turnover and retirement expectations, with 221,000 U.S. mining workers expected to retire by 2029.

Hiring in the mining & metals industry

  • 221,000 U.S. mining workers, representing more than half of the workforce, are expected to retire by 2029, according to industry analysis.[36]
  • 2,636 PGM appointments and 1,456 gold appointments were made in Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African operations in 2024.[37]
  • 10% of U.S. coal-fuels mining and extraction employers rated hiring as very difficult in 2024.[38]
  • 702 women completed operator and maintainer training at BHP’s Escondida mine in Chile by the end of 2024, creating a recruitment pipeline.[25]
  • 70% of young people surveyed by the Canadian Mining Industry Human Resources Council said they definitely or probably would not work in mining.[3]

Employee retention in the mining & metals industry

  • 17.4% was Sibanye-Stillwater’s 2024 turnover rate among U.S. miners.[39]
  • 0.59% was Sibanye-Stillwater’s 2024 turnover rate for women in management in South Africa.[39]
  • 2.96% was Sibanye-Stillwater’s 2024 turnover rate for management employees in South Africa.[39]
  • 17.30% was Sibanye-Stillwater’s employee turnover rate at its South African gold operations in 2024.[39]
  • 67% of mining and metals employees were engaged in Culture Amp’s July 2026 industry dataset.[40]

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

  • Across Chilean mining and supplier companies, remote work covered 8.9% of extraction workers, 10.5% of processing workers, and 9.8% of maintenance workers, according to a survey referring to 2020.[41]
  • 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.[41]
  • 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.[42]
  • 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.[41]
  • 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.[41]

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

  • 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.[42]
  • 16% of U.S. mining workers worked remotely at least sometimes during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[42]
  • 76% of mining, quarrying, and oil-and-gas workers surveyed globally considered hybrid or remote work in an international relocation destination appealing in 2025.[43]
  • 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.[42]

Upskilling in the mining & metals industry

  • 702 women completed technical training at BHP’s Escondida operation in Chile by the end of calendar 2024.[25]
  • 3,948 Rio Tinto leaders completed mental-health and wellbeing training in 2025.[24]
  • 17,182 digitally disconnected Rio Tinto employees completed updated Code of Conduct training in person in 2025.[24]
  • 21,693 digitally connected Rio Tinto employees completed updated Code of Conduct training in 2025.[24]
  • 57 average training hours per worker were reported by Glencore in 2017 for employees and contractors.[44]

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

  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 67% of employees were engaged in a Culture Amp benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[40]
  • 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.[40]
  • At Mineral Resources Limited, 70% employee engagement was recorded in the FY2024 annual survey, three percentage points above the reported industry average of 67%.[45]
  • 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.[40]
  • Across approximately 25 mining and metals organizations, 27% of employees disagreed that the company acted when someone was not delivering in their role in a benchmark collected from July 2025 through June 2026.[40]

DEI in the mining & metals industry

  • 39% of AusIMM diversity-survey respondents believed sexual harassment was very common or quite common in mining.[46]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer experience in the mining & metals industry

  • 100% of Banpu’s mining-business customers reported satisfaction in 2021, according to its annual customer survey.[47]
  • 8.5 out of 10 was Vale’s average iron-ore customer-satisfaction score in 2022, based on responses from final customers globally.[48]
  • 93% of TOMRA Mining survey respondents were satisfied with technical-support availability, competence and service-engineer work quality in 2024.[33]
  • 99% of Banpu’s mining-business customers reported satisfaction in 2024, according to its annual customer survey.[47]
  • 8.9 out of 10 was Vale’s average iron-ore customer-satisfaction score in 2023, based on responses from final customers globally.[48]

Customer retention in the mining & metals industry

  • More than 90% was Weir’s customer-retention rate for its mining software solutions in 2025.[49]
  • 86% of Implats’ surveyed customers had procured products from the company for at least nine years in 2022.[50]
  • 30% was the mining industry’s customer-retention performance score in The CMO Survey’s August 2021 industry comparison.[51]
  • 93% was Micromine’s customer-retention rate, reported by Weir during its 2025 capital-markets presentation.[52]

Customer loyalty in the mining & metals industry

  • +57 was TOMRA Mining’s Net Promoter Score in its 2024 customer survey, conducted globally among mining customers.[33]
  • +38 was TOMRA Mining’s Net Promoter Score in its 2018 customer survey among mining customers.[33]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand and digital reach metrics are included alongside adoption and spending numbers, such as 67.8% of the marketing budget spent on digital marketing in February 2022.

Digital marketing in the mining & metals industry

  • 30% was the maximum reported reduction in marketing, sales and finance overhead costs from digital initiatives in the BCG metals and mining survey.[53]
  • 10% of metals and mining industry leaders viewed data as a corporate asset in the BCG Digital Acceleration Index survey.[53]
  • 70.0% of purchased marketing-technology tools were being utilized by mining and construction companies in Spring 2024.[51]
  • 67.8% of the marketing budget was spent on digital marketing by mining and construction companies in February 2022.[51]
  • 25% of 75 large metals and mining companies used customized digital solutions in the BCG Digital Acceleration Index survey.[53]

Branding in the mining & metals industry

  • AAA was BHP’s brand-strength rating in 2024, making it the strongest brand in the mining, metals and minerals sector.[54]
  • USD1.3 billion was the 2024 brand value assigned to newcomer CMOC.[54]
  • USD1.4 billion was the 2024 brand value assigned to newcomer Chinalco.[54]
  • 8 of the 50 top mining, metals and minerals brands were from the United States in 2024.[54]
  • USD1.1 billion was JSW Steel’s mining and metals brand value in 2024.[54]

Social media in the mining & metals industry

  • 51% was the increase in online engagements achieved by Anglo American South Africa’s digital-first Stories Behind The Numbers campaign.[55]
  • 25% was the increase in positive sentiment achieved by Anglo American South Africa’s Stories Behind The Numbers campaign.[55]

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.[56]
  • In 2026, underground mining influencer Cory Rockwell had 117,100 TikTok followers, using videos about explosives, haul trucking, bolting and underground work.[56]
  • In 2026, Colombian mining and metallurgy student Paula Mineria had 110,600 TikTok followers, illustrating the reach of mining-focused influencer content.[56]
  • 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.[56]
  • 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.[56]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Automation links to throughput and unit economics, including 10%–15% reported unit-cost reductions after automated mining process-control systems.

Process optimization in the mining & metals industry

  • 32% of mine owners increased the number of condition-monitoring parameters measured through automation during 2022–2024.[6]
  • 1.91 cubic metres per tonne processed was Atalaya Mining’s 2024 operational-water intensity at its Spanish copper operation.[57]
  • 58,643 tonnes per calendar day was the average 2024 process-plant throughput reported for a copper-gold operation in the United States.[29]
  • 10%–15% was the reported reduction in unit costs after automated mining process-control systems were introduced at Russian mining enterprises.[58]
  • 21.5 million tonnes was the 2024 process-plant throughput reported for a copper-gold operation in the United States.[29]

Operational efficiency in the mining & metals industry

  • 77% of mining-service providers expected automated condition-monitoring data collection to account for their monitoring data within two years of the 2024 survey.[6]
  • 44% of mining-service providers said automation enabled them to execute more condition-monitoring projects per year in 2024.[6]
  • 333,791 tonnes of ore were processed at Ero Copper’s Tucumã operation in Brazil in 2024.[29]
  • 26.81 ounces per total employee costed was AngloGold Ashanti’s 2024 productivity measure in its global operations.[59]
  • 28.0% was Ero Copper’s 2024 average copper concentrate grade at Tucumã in Brazil.[29]

Quality management in the mining & metals industry

  • 5.0 days was Samsung Heavy Industries’ 2024 average punch-list clearance period.[60]
  • 348,042 drill-hole samples were included in Fortnum Gold Operations’ laboratory quality-control analysis for July 2015–June 2024.[21]
  • 99.1% was Samsung Heavy Industries’ 2024 mechanical-completion inspection acceptance rate.[60]
  • 0.97% was Samsung Heavy Industries’ 2024 piping welding defect rate in its shipbuilding operations.[60]
  • 0.44% was Samsung Heavy Industries’ 2024 cost of poor quality as a share of sales.[60]

Supply chain in the mining & metals industry

  • More than 20,000 suppliers supported Rio Tinto’s mining and metals operations across complex multi-layered supply chains in 2024.[24]
  • 100% was the response rate from Rio Tinto’s 50 highest-emitting suppliers to its 2024 baseline questionnaire.[24]
  • US$26 billion was BHP’s reported global payments to suppliers.[25]
  • US$3.1 billion was spent by BHP-operated projects with more than 2,200 local and Indigenous businesses.[25]
  • A$590 million was BHP’s FY2024 spending with 330 local suppliers in Western Australia.[25]

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

  • 54.0% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s medium-sized mining companies in 2019.[61]
  • 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.[3]
  • 75.0% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s large-scale mining companies in 2019.[61]
  • 13.5% was the average outsourcing rate among Chile’s small-scale mining companies in 2019.[61]
  • Contractors represented 54% of Queensland’s mining-industry workforce in fiscal year 2022–2023.[62]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing and earnings are tracked through index-linked sale mechanisms and margins, including metals price direction via the World Bank forecast for 2026.

Pricing strategy in the mining & metals industry

  • 78% of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron-ore sales were priced against the average index price for the shipment month in 2024, with the remainder using other timing mechanisms.[24]
  • 10% of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron-ore sales were priced against the prior quarter’s average index, lagged by one month, in 2024.[24]
  • $4.15 per pound was Newmont’s average 2024 copper price, compared with $3.85 in 2023.[29]
  • $28.27 per ounce was Newmont’s average 2024 silver price, compared with $23.35 in 2023.[29]
  • $2,386 per ounce was Newmont’s average 2024 gold price, compared with $1,941 in 2023.[29]

Cost reduction in the mining & metals industry

  • $0.6 billion was Anglo American’s gross cost savings realised in 2025, ahead of its $0.5 billion target.[63]
  • R7 billion was Anglo American Platinum’s sustainable company-wide cost savings in 2024, including operational efficiencies and procurement actions in South Africa.[21]
  • 5% was Rio Tinto’s reduction in operating unit costs in 2025 in real terms compared with 2024.[24]
  • $1.8 billion was Anglo American’s expected reduction in capital expenditure between 2023 and 2026 from portfolio and cost-discipline initiatives.[63]
  • $1.6 billion was Anglo American’s realised cost savings in 2024 and 2025 combined, according to its 2025 results presentation.[63]

Profitability in the mining & metals industry

  • $3.1 billion was Anglo American’s loss attributable to equity shareholders in 2024, compared with a $0.3 billion profit in 2023.[63]
  • $33 billion was BHP’s underlying EBITDA in fiscal 2026, up 27% year on year.[25]
  • $16.249 billion was Rio Tinto’s Pilbara underlying EBITDA in 2024, down 19% from 2023.[24]
  • 28% was Glencore’s adjusted EBITDA mining margin for metals and minerals in 2024, compared with 26% in 2023.[21]
  • 49% was BHP’s copper business EBITDA margin in fiscal 2026.[25]

Financial planning in the mining & metals industry

  • $11.9 billion was Canadian metal-mining capital expenditure in 2025, down 2% year on year.[64]
  • $11.4 billion was Rio Tinto’s share of capital investment in 2025, including sustaining, replacement, decarbonisation and growth spending.[24]
  • $18.5 billion is Canada’s planned mining and quarrying capital expenditure for 2026, representing a 7% expected increase from 2025.[64]
  • $6.8 billion was Canadian gold- and silver-ore mining capital expenditure in 2025, representing 57% of metal-mining capital expenditure.[64]
  • 60% of Rio Tinto’s 2025 underlying earnings was returned to shareholders through ordinary dividends.[24]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Service and digitalization show up in revenue mix, including 43% of Epiroc’s 2024 group revenues from service and digitalization activities.

Product development in the mining & metals industry

  • 31% of mining-technology patents during 1991–2015 concerned mining extraction, the largest subsector identified by the OECD.[65]
  • 25% of mining-technology patents during 1991–2015 concerned exploration, according to the OECD’s analysis of WIPO data.[65]
  • 1% of mining-technology patents during 1991–2015 concerned metallurgy, according to the OECD’s analysis of WIPO data.[65]
  • 5% of mining-technology patents during 1991–2015 concerned processing, according to the OECD.[65]
  • BSEK 2.2 was the value of Epiroc’s largest equipment order contract, covering autonomous and electric surface-mining equipment for Fortescue over five years.[66]

Product lifecycle in the mining & metals industry

  • 10% of global energy-storage demand in 2050 could be met by reusing electric-vehicle batteries in storage applications, according to the IEA.[67]
  • 100% is Tata Steel IJmuiden’s stated recyclability rate for crude steel, its primary manufactured product.[68]
  • Nearly 100% of metals were recycled within Sandvik’s own operations in 2025.[69]
  • 90% is the end-of-life steel recycling rate used in worldsteel’s cradle-to-gate life-cycle inventory study.[70]
  • 1% of demand for the 17 rare metals was met through recycling at the time of the cited UN assessment.[71]

After-sales in the mining & metals industry

  • 20% of Weir’s annual total revenue typically came from original-equipment sales, according to its 2024 annual report.[28]
  • 41% of Epiroc’s revenue came from service in the third quarter of 2025, while tools and attachments represented 25%.[72]
  • 43% of Epiroc’s revenue came from service in the first quarter of 2025, while equipment represented 33%.[72]
  • 43% of Epiroc’s 2024 group revenues came from service and digitalization activities.[72]
  • 23% of Epiroc’s 2024 group revenues came from tools and attachments, the other component of its aftermarket business.[72]

Value proposition in the mining & metals industry

  • Around 50% of customers were unwilling to pay a premium for green copper in McKinsey’s 2025 materials survey.[8]
  • 8.3% of customer consideration in the mining sector was driven by sustainability, according to Brand Finance’s 2024 sector analysis.[54]
  • 60% of the global metals-and-mining market was held by the ten largest companies in 2000, according to McKinsey’s market analysis.[8]
  • 50% of customers were unwilling to pay a premium for green aluminum in McKinsey’s 2025 materials survey.[8]
  • Around 50% of customers were unwilling to pay a premium for green steel in McKinsey’s 2025 materials survey.[8]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Injury and emissions reporting are quantified across firms, including 4 work-related fatalities recorded by Glencore in 2024.

Sustainability in the mining & metals industry

  • 1.89 total recordable injury frequency rate per million hours worked was reported by Glencore in 2024.[73]
  • 9.2 million tonnes of operational Scope 1 and 2 emissions were reported by BHP for financial year 2024.[25]
  • 21 high-potential injuries were recorded by BHP in financial year 2024.[25]
  • 4 work-related fatalities were recorded by Glencore’s operations in 2024, compared with 4 in 2023.[73]
  • 281 new occupational disease cases were recorded by Glencore in 2024, compared with 163 restated cases in 2023.[73]

ESG in the mining & metals industry

  • 0.37 all-injury frequency rate was reported by Rio Tinto in 2024.[24]
  • 6 Rio Tinto assets achieved exposure reductions for known health risks in 2024.[24]
  • 61 major mining companies were included in the 2024 Mining Company ESG Index, representing about two-thirds of combined industry market capitalisation.[74]
  • 6 thematic areas were used to assess business conduct, project lifecycle management, communities, working conditions and environmental responsibility in the RMI+ 2025 report.[75]
  • 23.8% was Glencore’s reduction in industrial Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions against its restated 2019 baseline by the end of 2024.[73]

Ethics in the mining & metals industry

  • 1 fatal incident involving a vehicle was recorded by BHP in financial year 2024.[25]
  • More than US$15 million worth of fake gold bars was seized through anti-fraud efforts in Burkina Faso, according to the 2024 EITI progress report.[76]
  • 6 thematic areas, including business conduct, were covered by the RMI+ 2025 mining-company assessment.[75]
  • 39 fraud cases related to gold trading were disclosed in Burkina Faso’s latest EITI disclosures referenced in the 2024 EITI progress report.[76]
  • 25 mining companies were assessed on business-conduct disclosure in the RMI+ 2025 report.[75]

CSR in the mining & metals industry

  • 4 impact themes were addressed by Rio Tinto’s 2025 voluntary global social investment.[24]
  • US$114.3 million was Rio Tinto’s voluntary global social investment in 2025.[24]
  • 7.9% was Rio Tinto’s decrease in the rate of new occupational illnesses from 2024 to 2025.[24]
  • 8 Sustainable Development Goals were identified by Rio Tinto as supporting its operations and social contribution in 2025.[24]
  • 70% of Rio Tinto’s total social investment is targeted to be made through strategic, outcomes-focused partnerships by 2027.[24]

Circular economy in the mining & metals industry

  • 0.8 billion tonnes of recycled material entered the European Union’s material-flow system in 2024.[77]
  • 30% of U.S. metal mine production value came from copper in 2024.[78]
  • 7% of U.S. metal mine production value came from zinc in 2024.[78]
  • US$48 billion worth of metals and mineral products were recycled domestically in the United States in 2024.[78]
  • 35% of U.S. metal mine production value came from gold in 2024.[78]

Carbon footprint in the mining & metals industry

  • 0.20 tonnes of Scope 1 and 2 emissions per tonne of mined mineral were estimated across key mineral-producing companies in 2024.[79]
  • 140 million dollars had been committed by BHP to steelmaking partnerships and ventures by financial year 2024 to support lower-emissions steelmaking technology.[25]
  • 17% was Rio Tinto’s net reduction in adjusted Scope 1 and 2 emissions against its 2018 baseline after offsets in 2025.[24]
  • 416.4 million tonnes of Scope 1, market-based Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions were reported by Glencore in 2024.[73]
  • 31.5 million tonnes of adjusted Scope 1 and 2 emissions were reported by Rio Tinto in 2025.[24]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Geographic concentration is explicit, including China accounting for 50% of global copper-smelting capacity in 2025 and 415,000 workers employed in Africa’s mining sector in 2024.

Globalization in the mining & metals industry

  • 415,000 workers were employed in Africa's mining sector in 2024, representing more than half of global mining employment.[67]
  • Almost 45% of global nickel refining was located in Indonesia in 2024, while Indonesian companies owned only 10%.[67]
  • 91% of global rare-earth separation and refining production came from China in 2024.[67]
  • 70% of lithium chemicals were produced in China by both geographic location and ownership in 2024.[67]
  • More than 40% of global refined copper production was controlled by China by both geographic location and ownership in 2024.[67]

Cultural adaptation in the mining & metals industry

  • 2 Indigenous communities, Wabauskang First Nation and Lac Seul First Nation, were engaged by Kinross Gold at its Ontario Great Bear project in 2024.[28]
  • 3 communication formats—webinars, training and forums—were used by Lundin Mining for engagement with local communities in 2024.[88]
  • 2-way dialogue through messaging channels was included in Lundin Mining's local-community engagement approach in 2024.[88]
  • 1 cultural-learning activity was supported by Kinross Gold at the Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre in Ontario in 2024.[28]

Supplier management in the mining & metals industry

  • $2.6 billion was Evolution Mining's supplier payment total in FY2025 across more than 4,300 active suppliers.[28]
  • $1.08 billion was Exxaro's procurement spend directed to local black-owned small, medium and micro enterprises in 2024.[89]
  • 19% of QuintelCorp's procurement spend went to suppliers headquartered in the province or region of an operation in FY2025.[90]
  • 55% of Newmont's 2024 supplier spend went to national suppliers globally across reported sites.[80]
  • $67.5 million was McEwen Mining Nevada's 2024 procurement spending for goods and services at Gold Bar Mine.[28]

Stakeholder management in the mining & metals industry

  • 13 stakeholder groups were identified in Lundin Mining's 2024 engagement framework, including communities, Indigenous Peoples, suppliers, customers, governments and investors.[88]
  • $200 million was Newmont's 2024 community-investment target across reported countries and sites.[80]
  • $5.7 million was invested by British Columbia's mining sector in approximately 260 community and First Nations organizations in 2022.[91]
  • 4 engagement activities were listed for Kinross Gold's Ontario Great Bear project in 2024: community meetings, site visits, cultural events and ceremony dialogue.[28]
  • 2 stakeholder groups—local communities and Indigenous Peoples—were engaged through regular or scheduled meetings by Lundin Mining in 2024.[88]

Distribution channels in the mining & metals industry

  • $3.05 billion was Vale's revenue from customers in Japan in 2024.[29]
  • 11.8% of Vale's net operating revenue came from European customers in 2024.[29]
  • $10.966 billion was Newmont's revenue attributed to customers in the United Kingdom in 2024.[92]
  • $4.486 billion was Vale's revenue from European customers in 2024.[29]
  • $5.61 billion was Vale's revenue from customers in the Americas in 2024.[29]

Key questions about the mining & metals industry

What is the value of the U.S. mining and metals market?
The market size for U.S. nonfuel mineral production was valued at $112 billion in 2025, including $38.1 billion of metal production and $73.7 billion of industrial minerals.
How are metals prices expected to move in 2026?
The World Bank forecasts metals prices to rise 25% in 2026, before declining 3% in 2027.
Which companies lead the mining & metals industry?
Barrick Mining Corporation leads Gitnux's 2026 mining & metals 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 bulk commodity miner at 9.1, backed by an operating margin of 39.47%.
What technology shifts are most visible in mining and metals operations?
Mining and metals executives ranked process intelligence, data mining and robotic-process automation as a digital priority for 56% of respondents in 2024, and 54% of global metals companies reported production as the area where automation had the greatest business impact in 2024.
Where does concentration show up most in the supply chain?
Concentration is strongest in processing and refining rather than mining alone; excluding rare earths, the average share of the top refining country rose to 72% in 2025 from 70% in 2023.
What operational constraints affect diversification and capacity buildouts?
Refining capital costs outside dominant suppliers are 20% to more than 150% higher, while operating costs average about 50% higher.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Mining & Metals Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mining-and-metals-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Mining & Metals Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/mining-and-metals-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Mining & Metals Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mining-and-metals-industry-statistics.

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