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The Biggest Mining Companies in the World in 2021

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biggest mining companies in the world

Ranked: The Top 20 Mining Companies

Mining companies have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic in excellent financial and operational shape and the forecast is even brighter as the economy recovers.

The market is expected to reach a value of nearly $1.86 trillion by 2022, with the increasing demand for minerals for power generation and renewables technology.

In the graphic above, we show the world’s top companies by market capitalization as of June 22, 2021, and the metals they mine.

The Bottom Line: From Smartphones to Food

From roads, hospitals, automobiles, houses, computers, satellites, and even fertilizer for crops, mining provides many of the materials we interact with every day. Copper, iron, rare earth metals, aluminum, and phosphate are just a handful of the mined materials that make modern life and feed the bottom line for mining companies.

The two biggest by market capitalization, BHP ($179B) and Rio Tinto ($132B), both produce a range of commodities, mainly iron ore and copper. The next on the list is also the biggest company in Brazil, Vale ($112B). The miner is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and pellets (small balls of iron ore) used to manufacture steel.

CompanyMarket Cap (USD)Country Main Mining Activity
BHP$179B🇦🇺 Australia iron ore, copper, coal
Rio Tinto$132B🇦🇺 Australia iron ore, aluminum, copper
Vale$112B🇧🇷 Braziliron ore, nickel
Glencore$55B🇨🇭 Switzerlandcopper, cobalt, zinc, nickel
Norilsk Nickel$54B🇷🇺 Russiapalladium, nickel
Freeport-McMoRan$52B🇺🇸 United Statescopper
Anglo American$52B🇬🇧 United Kingdomdiamonds, copper, platinum, iron ore, coal
Fortescue Metals$51B🇦🇺 Australia iron ore
Newmont Goldcorp$50B🇺🇸 United Statesgold
Southern Copper$47B🇺🇸 United Statescopper
Zijin Mining Group$38B🇨🇳 Chinagold, copper
Barrick Gold$37B🇨🇦 Canadagold
Nutrien$34B🇨🇦 Canadapotash
Anglo American Platinum$28B🇿🇦 South Africaplatinum, palladium, rhodium
Franco-Nevada$28B🇨🇦 Canadagold
Polyus $27B🇷🇺 Russiagold
Ganfeng Lithium$24B🇨🇳 Chinalithium
Wheaton Precious Metals$20B🇨🇦 Canadagold, silver, palladium, cobalt
Antofagasta $19B🇬🇧 United Kingdomcopper
Ma’aden$18B🇸🇦 Saudi Arabiagold

A $57 billion gap separates the top 3 from the rest of the group. In fourth place comes Glencore ($55B) with its mixed operations of trading and mining metals, agricultural products, and oil and gas.

The automotive industry is a big consumer of metals, which explains Norilsk Nickel’s ($54B) fifth place. The company, owned by the wealthiest man in Russia, is the world’s biggest producer of palladium, used in vehicles’ catalytic converters.

Miners also serve the luxury market, with precious metals like gold, silver, and gemstones. Number six on the list, Anglo American ($52B) is one of the world’s leading diamond companies.

In terms of countries, Canada leads the ranking with 4 miners on the list. The United States and Australia come next with 3 companies each.

Charging and Changing the Future of Mining Companies

The United States, Europe, and Asia are making big investments in electrification and power generation. By 2024, almost 33% of the world’s electricity is forecast to come from renewables.

This shift from fossil fuels will require a lot of copper, cobalt, and lithium for batteries. Mining companies are in a position to capitalize as the market expands.

For example, no. 17 in the list, China’s Ganfeng Lithium, the world’s third-largest producer of lithium chemicals for batteries, saw its market capitalization grow more than 25% in 2021.

The energy transition is just beginning, and the materials used in building a more sustainable future will also build up the largest mining companies of tomorrow.

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Electrification

Charted: The Energy Demand of U.S. Data Centers

Data center power needs are projected to triple by 2030.

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bar chart showing energy demand from data centers

Charted: The Energy Demand of U.S. Data Centers

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.

As the digital economy accelerates and generative AI becomes more deeply embedded in business and daily life, the physical infrastructure supporting these technologies is undergoing a transformative explosion.

In this graphic, we use data from McKinsey to show current and projected energy demand from data centers in the United States. Data is from October 2023.

U.S. Data Centers Could Quadruple Power Demand by 2030

Today, data centers account for roughly 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption. But by 2030, that share is projected to rise to 12%, driven by unprecedented growth in computing power, storage needs, and AI model training.

In fact, U.S. data center energy demand is set to jump from 224 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 606 terawatt-hours in 2030.

YearConsumption (TWh)% of Total Power Demand
20231474%
20241784%
20252245%
20262927%
20273718%
20284509%
202951310%
203060612%

Meeting this projected demand could require $500 billion in new data center infrastructure, along with a vast expansion of electricity generation, grid capacity, and water-cooling systems. Generative AI alone could require 50–60 GW of additional infrastructure.

This massive investment would also depend on upgrades in permitting, land use, and supply chain logistics. For example, the lead time to power new data centers in large markets such as Northern Virginia can exceed three years. In some cases, lead times for electrical equipment are two years or more.

A Strain on the U.S. Grid

The U.S. has experienced relatively flat power demand since 2007. Models suggest that this stability could be disrupted in the coming years. Data center growth alone could account for 30–40% of all net-new electricity demand through 2030.

Unlike typical power loads, data center demand is constant, dense, and growing exponentially. Facilities often operate 24/7, with little downtime and minimal flexibility to reduce usage.

Learn More on the Voronoi App 

If you enjoyed this infographic, see how Venture Capital Investment in Generative AI has grown, on the Voronoi app.

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Electrification

Visualizing China’s Battery Recycling Dominance

In 2025, China will hold 78% of pre-treatment and 89% of refining capacity.

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Sankey chart showing China's dominant position in both the pre-treatment and refining stages of battery recycling.

Visualizing China’s Battery Recycling Dominance

Battery recycling is expected to become a cornerstone of the global energy transition as electric vehicles (EVs) and other battery-powered technologies become more widespread.

According to exclusive data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, China holds a dominant position in both the pre-treatment and refining stages of battery recycling.

Chinese Growing Dominance

Battery recycling involves two major stages. First is pre-treatment, where recycling begins. Scrap batteries are typically shredded and separated to produce a material known as black mass.

The next stage is refining, which processes black mass into valuable lithium-, nickel-, and cobalt-based chemicals for use in battery cathodes.

China’s scale, infrastructure, and early investments in battery supply chains have translated into an outsized advantage in recycling capacity.

As the largest producer and user of lithium ion batteries, the country is expected to process 3.6 million tonnes of scrap batteries in 2025, up from 1.2 million tonnes in 2022. This would account for 78% of global pre-treatment capacity, with total global capacity projected to exceed 4.6 million tonnes.

Region/Tonnes2022202320242025P
Global1.5M2.4M2.8M4.6M
China1.2M1.8M2.1M3.6M
Asia excl. China158K231K288K361K
Europe118K133K243K416K
North America59K165K129K196K
ROW4K6K6K40K

In second place is the rest of Asia, with 361,000 tonnes, followed by Europe with 416,000 tonnes. While the U.S. attempts to reduce its reliance on China in the mineral sector, North America accounts for just 196,000 tonnes.

The refining stage is even more concentrated.

China’s black mass refining capacity is projected to nearly triple, from 895,000 tonnes in 2022 to 2.5 million tonnes by 2025—representing 89% of global capacity.

Region/Tonnes2022202320242025P
Global960K1.4M1.7M2.8M
China895K1.3M1.5M2.5M
Asia excl. China48K101K146K225K
Europe13K23K25K28K
North America4K5K5K21K
ROW01K1K32K

Refining is critical, as it converts recycled material into high-purity, battery-grade chemicals. The rest of Asia is expected to refine 225,000 tonnes, Europe 28,000 tonnes, and North America only 21,000 tonnes. Between 2022 and 2025, China’s refining capacity is projected to grow by 179%, while North America’s is expected to surge by 425%—albeit from a much smaller base.

As global demand for EVs and battery storage rises, countries looking to build domestic recycling infrastructure must accelerate investment to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains.

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