Silver mining may be producing 830.5 million ounces globally, but the industry’s statistics also point to a heavier footprint than many expect. On average, every gram of silver can leave behind 8 to 10 grams of waste, while tailings from silver operations span about 250,000 hectares worldwide. This post connects production scale to real environmental and social pressure, including GHG output, water use, pollution incidents, and the biodiversity and health impacts reported across major mines.
Key Takeaways
- Mining silver produces 8-10 grams of waste per gram of silver on average.
- Tailings from silver mines cover 250,000 hectares globally.
- Silver mining accounts for 0.5% of global mercury emissions.
- In 2022, global silver mine production reached 830.5 million ounces, a 2% increase from 2021, primarily driven by higher output from Mexico and China.
- Mexico was the world's largest silver producer in 2022 with 192.1 million ounces, accounting for 23% of global output.
- Peru produced 122.3 million ounces of silver from mines in 2022, representing 15% of global production.
- Fresnillo PLC produced 56.3 million ounces silver in 2022, largest producer.
- KGHM Polska Miedź output 41.5 million oz silver equivalent in 2022.
- Glencore's Antamina mine produced 18 million oz silver in 2022.
- The average silver price in 2022 was $21.70 per ounce, up 3% from 2021.
- Silver demand reached 1.24 billion ounces in 2022, highest on record.
- Industrial fabrication demand for silver was 654.4 million ounces in 2022, up 18%.
- Global identified silver resources totaled 560,000 metric tons as of 2022.
- Peru holds the largest silver reserves at 110,000 metric tons, representing 19% of global total.
- Australia's silver reserves are estimated at 95,000 metric tons, second largest globally.
Silver production hit record demand but environmental harms persist, with high water, tailings and toxic risk.
Related reading
02 · Category
Global Production30 stats
01
In 2022, global silver mine production reached 830.5 million ounces, a 2% increase from 2021, primarily driven by higher output from Mexico and China.
02
Mexico was the world's largest silver producer in 2022 with 192.1 million ounces, accounting for 23% of global output.
03
Peru produced 122.3 million ounces of silver from mines in 2022, representing 15% of global production.
04
China's silver mine production in 2022 was 110.6 million ounces, down 1% from the previous year due to environmental regulations.
05
Russia contributed 47.8 million ounces of silver mine production in 2022, a 5% decline amid geopolitical tensions.
06
Poland's KGHM Polska Miedź produced 41.2 million ounces of silver in 2022 from its polymetallic mines.
07
Australia mined 47.1 million ounces of silver in 2022, mainly as a byproduct of lead-zinc operations.
08
Bolivia's silver output reached 37.5 million ounces in 2022, up 8% from 2021 due to San Cristobal mine expansions.
09
Argentina produced 29.8 million ounces in 2022, with Navachica mine contributing significantly.
10
The United States silver mine production was 32.0 million ounces in 2022, led by Nevada and Alaska operations.
11
Chile mined 24.6 million ounces of silver in 2022, primarily from copper mines like Escondida.
12
Sweden's Boliden AB produced 18.9 million ounces in 2022 from its European mines.
13
India contributed 12.4 million ounces in 2022, mostly from zinc-lead concentrates.
14
Kazakhstan's silver production was 15.7 million ounces in 2022, up from polymetallic deposits.
15
South Africa's silver output fell to 8.2 million ounces in 2022 due to declining gold mine byproducts.
16
Canada produced 14.1 million ounces in 2022, with significant contributions from Yukon and Ontario.
17
Indonesia mined 10.3 million ounces in 2022 from Grasberg copper-gold mine.
18
Guatemala's San Rafael mine produced 9.8 million ounces in 2022, a key primary silver operation.
19
Morocco output was 7.6 million ounces in 2022 from Imiter mine.
20
Iran produced 6.5 million ounces in 2022 despite sanctions.
21
Global silver mine production averaged 26.4 million tonnes per year from 2018-2022.
22
Latin America accounted for 52% of global silver production in 2022.
23
Byproduct silver from lead-zinc mines contributed 30% of total production in 2022.
24
Copper mines provided 25% of silver output globally in 2022.
25
Gold mines contributed 18% of silver production in 2022.
26
Primary silver mines produced 27% of global silver in 2022.
27
Mexico's Peñasquito mine produced 47.8 million ounces in 2022, the world's largest silver mine.
28
China's Jiama mine output was 22.1 million ounces in 2022.
29
Peru's Antamina mine produced 18.4 million ounces as byproduct in 2022.
30
Russia's Dukat mine yielded 16.7 million ounces in 2022.
Interpretation
Global Production Interpretation
The global silver market in 2022 was a geopolitical and geological drama, where Mexico's commanding lead was propped up by polymetallic byproducts, while environmental crackdowns in China and international tensions in Russia proved that even a lustrous metal cannot escape the tarnish of world events.
03 · Category
Major Producers and Companies24 stats
01
Fresnillo PLC produced 56.3 million ounces silver in 2022, largest producer.
02
KGHM Polska Miedź output 41.5 million oz silver equivalent in 2022.
03
Glencore's Antamina mine produced 18 million oz silver in 2022.
04
Newmont's Peñasquito mine output 47 million oz silver 2022.
05
Polymetal's Dukat-Verhny Dukat produced 17 million oz in 2022.
06
BHP's Cannington mine 14 million oz silver 2022.
07
Hecla Mining's Greens Creek 9.5 million oz silver 2022.
08
Pan American Silver's La Colorada 7.2 million oz 2022.
09
Coeur Mining's Palmarejo 7 million oz silver 2022.
10
Buenaventura's Uchucchacua 6.8 million oz 2022.
11
Silvercorp's Ying Mining District 6.5 million oz 2022.
12
Aya Gold's Zgounder 6.2 million oz post-restart 2022.
13
Hochschild's San Jose 5.9 million oz 2022.
14
SSR Mining's Marigold byproduct silver 4.1 million oz 2022.
15
Endeavour Silver's Guanacevi 3.8 million oz 2022.
16
First Majestic's San Dimas 9.5 million oz silver equivalent 2022.
17
GoGold's Parral Tailings 2.5 million oz 2022.
18
Alexco's Keno Hill 1.8 million oz 2022.
19
Great Panther's Guadalupe 1.2 million oz 2022.
20
Fresnillo PLC market cap $12.5 billion end-2022.
21
Hecla Mining revenue $718 million in 2022 from silver ops.
22
Pan American Silver produced 21.7 million oz attributable silver 2022.
23
MAG Silver's Juanicipio JV produced 14.1 million oz 2022.
24
SilverCrest Metals' Las Chispas ramp-up to 4.5 million oz 2022.
Interpretation
Major Producers and Companies Interpretation
If you stacked the silver ounces produced in 2022 by just the top five miners, you'd have a tower of shiny uncertainty tall enough to make an economist both giddy and deeply concerned about global supply.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market and Prices23 stats
01
The average silver price in 2022 was $21.70per ounce, up 3% from 2021.
02
Silver demand reached 1.24 billion ounces in 2022, highest on record.
03
Industrial fabrication demand for silver was 654.4 million ounces in 2022, up 18%.
04
Silver supply totaled 1.02 billion ounces in 2022, creating a 219 million ounce deficit.
05
Jewelry demand for silver fell to 204.5 million ounces in 2022 due to higher prices.
06
Silverware fabrication was 55.8 million ounces in 2022.
07
Physical investment demand surged to 299.4 million ounces in 2022.
08
ETFs held 517 million ounces of silver at end-2022.
09
India imported 3,600 tonnes of silver in 2022, 12% of global supply.
10
London futures average silver price 2022: $21.74/oz.
11
Shanghai silver price averaged 4,980 yuan/kg in 2022.
12
Silver recycling supplied 180.2 million ounces in 2022, up 5%.
13
PV solar panels consumed 160 million ounces of silver in 2022.
14
Electronics sector used 85 million ounces of silver in 2022.
15
Automotive demand for silver reached 65 million ounces in 2022.
16
Brazil consumed 11 million ounces in silver fabrication 2022.
17
U.S. silver fabrication was 50 million ounces in 2022.
18
Global silver market deficit was 219.8 million ounces in 2022.
19
Silver price peaked at $26.40/oz in May 2022.
20
Year-end 2022 silver price closed at $23.96/oz.
21
Silver traded at a 80:1 gold ratio average in 2022.
22
COMEX silver inventories averaged 300 million ounces in 2022.
23
OTC silver investment bars sales hit 40 million ounces in 2022.
Interpretation
Market and Prices Interpretation
The silver market spent 2022 looking quite schizophrenic, as prices timidly rose only 3% while industrial demand greedily consumed a record amount, leaving a gaping 219-million-ounce deficit for investors to nervously eye.
05 · Category
Reserves and Resources30 stats
01
Global identified silver resources totaled 560,000 metric tons as of 2022.
02
Peru holds the largest silver reserves at 110,000 metric tons, representing 19% of global total.
03
Australia's silver reserves are estimated at 95,000 metric tons, second largest globally.
04
Russia has 57,000 metric tons of silver reserves, ranking third worldwide.
05
Poland's reserves stand at 39,000 metric tons, primarily at Rudna mine.
06
Chile possesses 26,000 metric tons of silver reserves, linked to copper deposits.
07
Bolivia has 19,000 metric tons of reserves, with potential for expansion.
08
Mexico's silver reserves are 37,000 metric tons, supporting long mine life.
09
China's reserves total 25,000 metric tons, concentrated in porphyry deposits.
10
United States reserves are 25,000 metric tons, mainly in Nevada.
11
Argentina holds 18,000 metric tons of silver reserves.
12
Indonesia's reserves are 13,000 metric tons at Grasberg.
13
Canada has 10,000 metric tons of silver reserves.
14
South Africa reserves at 2,500 metric tons, declining.
15
Kazakhstan reserves estimated at 8,000 metric tons.
16
Global silver reserve life index is 18 years at 2022 production rates.
17
Exploration expenditures for silver reached $450 million in 2022 globally.
18
145 new silver deposits discovered between 2018-2022.
19
Peñasquito mine in Mexico has proven reserves of 15 million ounces recoverable.
20
Fresnillo PLC's Saucito mine reserves are 12.5 million ounces.
21
Cannington mine in Australia holds 28 million ounces of silver resources.
22
Dukat mine in Russia has 10 million ounces remaining reserves.
23
San Cristobal mine in Bolivia resources total 20 million ounces.
24
Antamina mine reserves include 15 million ounces silver.
25
Greens Creek mine in Alaska has 45 million ounces resources.
26
SilverCrest's Las Chispas project resources 50 million ounces.
27
Endeavour Silver's Pitarrilla project inferred resources 400 million ounces.
28
MAG Silver's Juanicipio mine reserves 40 million ounces.
29
Aya Gold's Zgounder mine resources 15 million ounces.
30
Hochschild's Inmaculada mine reserves 12 million ounces.
Interpretation
Reserves and Resources Interpretation
While Peru may have the crown with 19% of the world's known silver, the real story is a global poker game where everyone is raising the ante on exploration—because at current rates, we're only 18 years from folding a hand the modern world desperately needs to keep.
Reference
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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Silver Mining Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/silver-mining-industry-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Silver Mining Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/silver-mining-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Silver Mining Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/silver-mining-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
53 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
amazonwatch.org