Misc
All the Metals We Mined in One Visualization
All the Metals We Mined in One Visualization
Metals are all around us, from our phones and cars to our homes and office buildings.
While we often overlook the presence of these raw materials, they are an essential part of the modern economy. But obtaining these materials can be a complex process that involves mining, refining, and then converting them into usable forms.
So, how much metal gets mined in a year?
Metals vs Ores
Before digging into the numbers, it’s important that we distinguish between ores and metals.
Ores are naturally occurring rocks that contain metals and metal compounds. Metals are the valuable parts of ores that can be extracted by separating and removing the waste rock. As a result, ore production is typically much higher than the actual metal content of the ore. For example, miners produced 347 million tonnes of bauxite ore in 2019, but the actual aluminum metal content extracted from that was only 62.9 million tonnes.
Here are all the metals and metal ores mined in 2019, according to the British Geological Survey:
Metal/Ore | Quantity Mined (tonnes) | % of Total |
---|---|---|
Iron Ore | 3,040,000,000 | 93.57% |
Industrial Metals | 207,478,486 | 6.39% |
Technology and Precious Metals | 1,335,848 | 0.04% |
Total | 3,248,814,334 | 100% |
Miners produced roughly three billion tonnes of iron ore in 2019, representing close to 94% of all mined metals. The primary use of all this iron is to make steel. In fact, 98% of iron ore goes into steelmaking, with the rest fulfilling various other applications.
Industrial and technology metals made up the other 6% of all mined metals in 2019. How do they break down?
Industrial Metals
From construction and agriculture to manufacturing and transportation, virtually every industry harnesses the properties of metals in different ways.
Here are the industrial metals we mined in 2019.
Metal | Quantity Mined (tonnes) | % of Total |
---|---|---|
Aluminum | 62,900,000 | 30% |
Manganese Ore | 56,600,000 | 27% |
Chromium Ores and Concentrates | 38,600,000 | 19% |
Copper | 20,700,000 | 10% |
Zinc | 12,300,000 | 6% |
Titanium (Titanium Dioxide Content) | 6,300,000 | 3% |
Lead | 4,700,000 | 2% |
Nickel | 2,702,000 | 1% |
Zirconium Minerals (Zircon) | 1,337,000 | 1% |
Magnesium | 1,059,736 | 1% |
Strontium | 220,000 | 0.11% |
Uranium | 53,400 | 0.03% |
Bismuth | 3,700 | 0.002% |
Mercury | 2,400 | 0.001% |
Beryllium | 250 | 0.0001% |
Total | 207,478,486 | 100% |
Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
It’s no surprise that aluminum is the most-produced industrial metal. The lightweight metal is one of the most commonly used materials in the world, with uses ranging from making foils and beer kegs to buildings and aircraft parts.
Manganese and chromium rank second and third respectively in terms of metal mined, and are important ingredients in steelmaking. Manganese helps convert iron ore into steel, and chromium hardens and toughens steel. Furthermore, manganese is a critical ingredient of lithium-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) batteries for electric vehicles.
Although copper production is around one-third that of aluminum, copper has a key role in making modern life possible. The red metal is found in virtually every wire, motor, and electrical appliance in our homes and offices. It’s also critical for various renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles.
Technology and Precious Metals
Technology is only as good as the materials that make it.
Technology metals can be classified as relatively rare metals commonly used in technology and devices. While miners produce some tech and precious metals in large quantities, others are relatively scarce.
Metal | Quantity Mined in 2019 (tonnes) | % of Total |
---|---|---|
Tin | 305,000 | 23% |
Molybdenum | 275,000 | 21% |
Rare Earth Elements | 220,000 | 16% |
Cobalt | 123,000 | 9% |
Lithium | 97,500 | 7% |
Tungsten | 91,500 | 7% |
Vanadium | 81,000 | 6% |
Niobium | 57,000 | 4% |
Cadmium | 27,500 | 2% |
Tantalum | 27,000 | 2% |
Silver | 26,261 | 2% |
Gold | 3,350 | 0.3% |
Indium | 851 | 0.06% |
Platinum Group Metals | 457 | 0.03% |
Gallium | 380 | 0.03% |
Rhenium | 49 | 0.004% |
Total | 1,335,848 | 100.00% |
Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Tin was the most-mined tech metal in 2019, and according to the International Tin Association, nearly half of it went into soldering.
It’s also interesting to see the prevalence of battery and energy metals. Lithium, cobalt, vanadium, and molybdenum are all critical for various energy technologies, including lithium-ion batteries, wind farms, and energy storage technologies. Additionally, miners also extracted 220,000 tonnes of rare earth elements, of which 60% came from China.
Given their rarity, it’s not surprising that gold, silver, and platinum group metals (PGMs) were the least-mined materials in this category. Collectively, these metals represent just 2.3% of the tech and precious metals mined in 2019.
A Material World
Although humans mine and use massive quantities of metals every year, it’s important to put these figures into perspective.
According to Circle Economy, the world consumes 100.6 billion tonnes of materials annually. Of this total, 3.2 billion tonnes of metals produced in 2019 would account for just 3% of our overall material consumption. In fact, the world’s annual production of cement alone is around 4.1 billion tonnes, dwarfing total metal production.
The world’s appetite for materials is growing with its population. As resource-intensive megatrends such as urbanization and electrification pick up the pace, our material pie will only get larger.
Visualizing Raw Steel Production in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Steel is essential for the economy due to its crucial role in infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, and transportation sectors.
This graphic breaks down the estimated global production of raw steel in 2023. The data was sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey as of January 2024.
China Produces More Than Half the World’s Steel
One major issue facing the steel industry is overcapacity in top producer China.
Steel production in China has surpassed demand in recent years, leading to downward pressure on the profit margins of steel mills worldwide.
Historically, China’s troubled real estate sector has accounted for over one-third of the country’s steel consumption. To address this issue, the Chinese government has mandated steel production cuts since 2021.
Far behind China, India is the second-biggest producer of steel, followed by Japan.
Country | Region | 2023 Production (million tonnes) |
---|---|---|
🇨🇳 China | Asia | 1,000 |
🇮🇳 India | Asia | 140 |
🇯🇵 Japan | Asia | 87 |
🇺🇸 U.S. | North America | 80 |
🇷🇺 Russia | Europe | 75 |
🇰🇷 S. Korea | Asia | 68 |
🌍 Rest of World | 420 | |
Total | 1,870 |
Infinite Recyclability
Steel is an alloy primarily composed of iron ore containing less than 2% carbon, 1% manganese, and other trace elements. It is 1,000 times stronger than iron and can be recycled over and over without sacrificing quality.
Steel is widely used in various industries. It is a fundamental material in construction, providing support through beams, internal structures, and roofing.
Moreover, steel’s corrosion-resistant properties make it ideal for water infrastructure. Stainless steel pipes are the preferred choice for underground water systems, ensuring longevity and purity in water transportation.
Additionally, most canned foods are stored in steel containers for preservation, as steel does not rust.
Misc
Visualizing Cobalt Production by Country in 2023
The Democratic Republic of Congo accounts for 74% of the world’s cobalt output.
Visualizing Cobalt Production by Country in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Cobalt is a critical mineral used in numerous commercial, industrial, and military applications. In recent years, it has gained attention as it is also necessary for batteries used in cell phones, laptops, and electric vehicles (EVs).
This graphic illustrates estimated cobalt production by country in 2023 in metric tons. The data is from the most recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries, published in January 2024.
The DRC Produces 74% of Global Cobalt
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for 74% of the world’s cobalt output. Although the metal is found on a large scale in other parts of the world, like Australia, Europe, and Asia, the African nation holds the biggest reserve by far. Of the 11,000,000 metric tons of worldwide reserves, it is estimated that 6,000,000 metric tons are located in the DRC.
Country | metric tons | Percentage |
---|---|---|
🇨🇩 DRC | 170,000 | 74% |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 17,000 | 7% |
🇷🇺 Russia | 8,800 | 4% |
🇦🇺 Australia | 4,600 | 2% |
🇲🇬 Madagascar | 4,000 | 2% |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 3,800 | 2% |
🌍 Other Countries | 21,100 | 9.00% |
Total | 229,300 | 100% |
Since around 20% of the cobalt mined in the DRC originates from small-scale artisanal mines, often employing child labor, the extraction of the metal has been a point of intense debate. With a long history of conflict, political upheaval, and instability, the country is often listed among the poorest nations in the world.
Today, the EV sector constitutes 40% of the overall cobalt market.
China is the world’s leading consumer of cobalt, with nearly 87% of its consumption used by the lithium-ion battery industry.
In the U.S., 50% of cobalt consumed is used in superalloys, mainly in aircraft gas turbine engines.
Learn More About Critical Minerals From Visual Capitalist
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out The Critical Minerals to China, EU, and U.S. National Security. This visualization shows which minerals are essential to China, the United States, and the European Union.
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