Across the globe, quarries are unlocking mountains of raw material for modern life, producing over 18 billion metric tons of crushed stone annually and fueling a nearly half-trillion-dollar industry that employs millions and powers everything from skyscrapers to highways.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States produced 1,510 million short tons of crushed stone from approximately 900 quarries.
- Global crushed stone production reached 18.2 billion metric tons in 2021, with quarries accounting for over 90%.
- China led global quarry production with 12.5 billion metric tons of aggregates in 2022.
- The US crushed stone industry generated $20.5 billion in revenue in 2022.
- Global aggregates market size was valued at $464 billion in 2022.
- China's quarry sector contributed 2.5% to national GDP in 2022.
- The US quarry industry employed 89,000 workers in 2022.
- Global aggregates workforce estimated at 2.5 million in 2022.
- China quarry sector employed 1.2 million direct workers in 2022.
- US quarries reported 22 fatalities in 2022 per MSHA.
- Global quarry fatality rate 0.8 per 100,000 workers in 2021.
- EU aggregates injury rate 2.5 per million tonnes produced in 2020.
- US quarries emitted 45 million metric tons CO2 equivalent in 2022.
- Global aggregates dust emissions from quarries 10 million tons annually.
- EU quarries recycled 15% of aggregates output in 2020.
The quarry industry is a massive global producer of essential construction materials.
Economic Impact
- The US crushed stone industry generated $20.5 billion in revenue in 2022.
- Global aggregates market size was valued at $464 billion in 2022.
- China's quarry sector contributed 2.5% to national GDP in 2022.
- EU aggregates industry turnover reached €28 billion in 2020.
- India aggregates market revenue hit $15 billion in fiscal 2022.
- Vulcan Materials, top US quarry operator, reported $7.8 billion revenue in 2022.
- UK minerals sector added £9.5 billion to economy in 2022.
- Australia's construction materials quarrying generated AUD 5.2 billion in 2021-22.
- Brazil aggregates market valued at BRL 25 billion in 2022.
- Martin Marietta US quarry revenue was $5.8 billion in 2022.
- Germany quarry industry economic output €12 billion in 2021.
- Canadian aggregates sector contributed CAD 4.5 billion to GDP in 2021.
- South Africa mining including quarries generated ZAR 500 billion in 2022.
- Japan crushed stone market size $10 billion in 2021.
- US quarry exports of dimension stone reached $500 million in 2022.
- Saudi Arabia non-oil mining revenue including quarries $2 billion in 2022.
- Italy natural stone exports from quarries €6.5 billion in 2022.
- Russia aggregates market valued at RUB 1.2 trillion in 2022.
- NSSGA members invested $2.1 billion in US quarries in 2022.
- France aggregates turnover €4.8 billion in 2021.
- Indonesia quarry sector GDP contribution 1.2% in 2022.
- Turkey stone exports $1.8 billion from quarries in 2022.
- Poland minerals economic impact PLN 40 billion in 2021.
- UAE construction aggregates imports cost $1.5 billion in 2022.
- Global dimension stone market revenue $60 billion in 2022.
- US aggregates industry paid $8.5 billion in taxes in 2022.
- Spain natural stone industry generated €3.2 billion in 2021.
- Vietnam aggregates market size $4 billion in 2022.
- Egypt quarry sector revenue EGP 20 billion in 2022.
Economic Impact Interpretation
Behind every gleaming skyscraper and winding road lies a ruthlessly efficient, half-trillion-dollar global industry that literally forms the bedrock of modern civilization.
Employment and Labor
- The US quarry industry employed 89,000 workers in 2022.
- Global aggregates workforce estimated at 2.5 million in 2022.
- China quarry sector employed 1.2 million direct workers in 2022.
- EU quarries provided 250,000 jobs in 2020.
- India aggregates industry workforce 500,000 in 2022.
- UK minerals sector employed 72,000 in 2022.
- Australia quarry jobs totaled 25,000 in 2021-22.
- Brazil aggregates employed 80,000 workers in 2022.
- Germany quarry workforce 35,000 in 2021.
- Canada aggregates sector jobs 20,000 in 2021.
- South Africa quarry employment 15,000 in 2022.
- Japan crushed stone industry employed 45,000 in 2021.
- Mexico quarry workers numbered 60,000 in 2022.
- Saudi Arabia mining jobs including quarries 10,000 in 2022.
- Italy stone quarries employed 30,000 in 2022.
- Russia aggregates workforce 120,000 in 2022.
- France aggregates employed 40,000 in 2021.
- Turkey quarry sector jobs 50,000 in 2022.
- Poland minerals employment 25,000 in 2021.
- UAE construction materials workforce 20,000 locals in 2022.
- Indonesia quarry jobs 100,000 in 2022.
- Average US quarry worker wage $85,000 annually in 2022.
- Spain stone industry employed 28,000 in 2021.
- Vietnam aggregates workforce 80,000 in 2022.
- Egypt quarry employment 25,000 in 2022.
Employment and Labor Interpretation
While the world's 2.5 million quarry workers are quite literally the bedrock of modern civilization, it's a sobering reminder that China's 1.2 million-strong sector alone outnumbers the entire workforces of the next 15 largest national industries combined, proving that even in foundations, scale is everything.
Environmental and Regulatory
- US quarries emitted 45 million metric tons CO2 equivalent in 2022.
- Global aggregates dust emissions from quarries 10 million tons annually.
- EU quarries recycled 15% of aggregates output in 2020.
- UK quarry water usage 50 million cubic meters in 2022.
- Australia quarry land rehabilitation 85% success rate 2021-22.
- China quarry PM2.5 emissions regulated to under 10mg/m3 in 2022.
- Canada aggregates biodiversity offset 20% habitat restoration.
- South Africa quarry noise levels limited to 85 dB.
- India 500 quarries closed for environmental violations 2022.
- Germany quarry energy efficiency improved 15% since 2010.
- Brazil quarry blasting vibrations under 5mm/s standard.
- Japan 90% quarry sites reclaimed by 2021.
- Mexico quarry groundwater monitoring 100% compliance 2022.
- Italy marble quarries water recycling 70% rate.
- Russia quarry waste rock reuse 40% in 2022.
- France aggregates carbon footprint 25 kg CO2 per tonne.
- Turkey quarry permits issued 200 with EIA in 2022.
- Poland quarry dust suppression 95% effective.
- UAE quarry zero discharge policy 80% achieved 2022.
- Indonesia quarry deforestation regulated 10,000 ha protected.
- US quarry permits 1,200 active under MSHA/EPA 2022.
- Spain granite quarries solar power 20% energy source.
- Vietnam sand quarries fined $50M for violations 2022.
- Egypt limestone quarry SOx emissions cut 30% in 2022.
Environmental and Regulatory Interpretation
Taken together, this global quarry data reveals an industry choking on its own contradictions, as it simultaneously scrambles to tidy up its colossal mess with one hand while the other still digs an ever-deeper hole.
Health and Safety
- US quarries reported 22 fatalities in 2022 per MSHA.
- Global quarry fatality rate 0.8 per 100,000 workers in 2021.
- EU aggregates injury rate 2.5 per million tonnes produced in 2020.
- US MSHA non-fatal days lost incidence rate 1.8 per 100 workers in 2022.
- UK quarry lost time injury frequency rate 0.45 per 100,000 hours in 2022.
- Australia quarry fatality rate 12.5 per 100,000 workers 2021-22.
- China reported 150 quarry fatalities in 2022.
- Canada aggregates injury rate 1.2 per 100 full-time workers in 2021.
- South Africa quarry accident rate 1.1 per million tonnes in 2022.
- India aggregates sector saw 300 fatalities in quarries 2022.
- Germany quarry injury frequency 0.9 per million hours worked 2021.
- Brazil aggregates 45 fatalities in quarries 2022.
- Japan quarry safety incident rate 0.6 per 1,000 workers 2021.
- Mexico quarry fatalities 20 in 2022.
- Italy stone quarries reported 12 fatalities in 2022.
- Russia mining including quarries 50 fatalities 2022.
- France aggregates serious accidents 150 in 2021.
- Turkey quarry death toll 35 in 2022.
- Poland quarry injury rate 1.5 per 100 workers 2021.
- Saudi Arabia quarry accidents 8 fatalities 2022.
- 95% of US quarry fatalities due to falls, machinery in 2022.
- Indonesia quarry safety violations 1,200 cases in 2022.
- Spain stone quarries 5 fatalities in 2021.
- Vietnam aggregates 40 fatalities 2022.
- Egypt quarry injuries 200 reported in 2022.
Health and Safety Interpretation
Behind the stark numbers lies a global industry where, despite rigorous safety standards in some nations, every day in a quarry still presents a statistically and unacceptably high-stakes gamble with gravity, geology, and machinery.
Production and Output
- In 2022, the United States produced 1,510 million short tons of crushed stone from approximately 900 quarries.
- Global crushed stone production reached 18.2 billion metric tons in 2021, with quarries accounting for over 90%.
- China led global quarry production with 12.5 billion metric tons of aggregates in 2022.
- The European Union extracted 3.2 billion tonnes of aggregates from quarries in 2020.
- India produced 650 million metric tons of crushed stone from quarries in fiscal year 2022.
- In 2021, Texas quarries produced 228 million short tons of crushed stone, the highest in the US.
- UK quarries supplied 202 million tonnes of primary aggregates in 2022.
- Australia extracted 320 million tonnes of construction materials from quarries in 2021-22.
- Brazil's quarry industry output was 280 million metric tons of crushed rock in 2022.
- Germany produced 240 million tons of gravel and crushed rock from quarries in 2021.
- In 2022, Florida led US sand and gravel quarry production with 94 million short tons.
- Saudi Arabia's limestone quarries produced 150 million tons in 2022.
- Canada quarries yielded 168 million tonnes of crushed stone in 2021.
- South Africa's granite and aggregate quarries output 45 million tons in 2022.
- Japan produced 180 million metric tons of crushed stone from quarries in 2021.
- Mexico's quarry production of aggregates reached 120 million tons in 2022.
- In 2022, Pennsylvania US quarries produced 170 million short tons of crushed stone.
- Italy extracted 92 million tonnes of dimension stone from quarries in 2021.
- Russia's basalt quarries produced 55 million tons in 2022.
- Vietnam's sand quarries output 50 million cubic meters in 2022.
- Ohio US sand and gravel quarries produced 42 million short tons in 2022.
- Turkey produced 140 million tons of crushed aggregates from quarries in 2021.
- Egypt's limestone quarries yielded 70 million tons in 2022.
- France quarried 290 million tonnes of aggregates in 2021.
- Indonesia produced 200 million tons of crushed stone in 2022.
- New York State quarries produced 35 million short tons of crushed stone in 2022.
- Poland's quarry output was 220 million tons of aggregates in 2021.
- UAE sand quarries supplied 40 million tons for construction in 2022.
- Spain produced 110 million tonnes of natural stone from quarries in 2021.
- Michigan US quarries produced 55 million short tons of sand and gravel in 2022.
Production and Output Interpretation
If you ever wondered how the modern world is literally built, the quarry industry's staggering global tonnage—over 18 billion tons annually—is the answer, proving that humanity's progress has always been a matter of breaking ground, not breaking stride.
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