Misc
Visualizing Global Aluminum Production
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
Visualizing Global Aluminum Production
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.
This infographic shows estimated aluminum smelter production by country in 2023, based on data from the most recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries, published in January 2024 .
From this data, we can see that China leads as the top producer, accounting for nearly 60% of the world’s smelter capacity. Its neighbor India is the second-largest producer, making only a tenth of China’s output.
| Country | 2023 Aluminum Smelter Production (tonnes) | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 41,000,000 | 59% |
| 🇮🇳 India | 4,100,000 | 6% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 3,800,000 | 5% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 3,000,000 | 4% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 2,700,000 | 4% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 1,600,000 | 2% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 1,500,000 | 2% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 1,300,000 | 2% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1,100,000 | 2% |
| 🌍 Rest of the World | 9,460,000 | 14% |
| Total | 69,560,000 | 100% |
Responsible for 5% of global aluminum output, Russia has been targeted by recent sanctions from the U.S. and the UK.
The sanctions include prohibiting metal-trading exchanges from accepting new aluminum produced by Russia and barring the import of the Russian metal into the U.S. and Britain. The actions are aimed at disrupting Russian export revenue amid Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The World’s Most Common Metal
Aluminum is the primary material used for making cans, foil, and many other products. It originates from bauxites, rocks composed of aluminum oxides, and various minerals.
Approximately 25% of annually produced aluminum is utilized by the construction industry, while another 23% is allocated to vehicle frames, wires, wheels, and other components within the transportation sector. Aluminum foil, cans, and packaging constitute another significant end-use category, accounting for 17% of consumption.
Despite its extensive use, aluminum is still plentiful. Aluminum is the world’s most common metal by crustal abundance, making up 8.2% of the Earth’s crust.
According to the USGS, global resources of bauxite are estimated to be between 55 billion and 75 billion tonnes and are sufficient to meet world demand for metal well into the future.
Energy Shift
Oil & Gas Leases on Public Lands Under Obama, Trump, and Biden
President-elect Donald Trump wants a massive boost in U.S. oil production to reduce energy costs.
Oil & Gas Leases on Public Lands Under Obama, Trump, and Biden
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.
President-elect Donald Trump wants a massive boost in U.S. oil production to reduce energy costs. The data shows that over the last decade, the Republican’s previous administration has been by far the most favorable for the oil and gas industry.
This graphic shows the number of acres leased on public lands to oil and gas companies during the fiscal years 2013–2023. The data is sourced from the Bureau of Land Management as of October 2023.
Drill, Baby, Drill
The amount of public land leased to the oil and gas sector has varied significantly by administration.
In Trump’s first year in office, there was a 93% increase in leases compared to the final year of the Obama administration.
| Year | Acres Leased | Administration |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1,172,808 | Obama |
| 2014 | 1,197,852 | Obama |
| 2015 | 810,068 | Obama |
| 2016 | 577,317 | Obama |
| 2017 | 1,114,218 | Trump |
| 2018 | 1,253,369 | Trump |
| 2019 | 2,245,906 | Trump |
| 2020 | 1,871,962 | Trump |
| 2021 | 249,132 | Biden |
| 2022 | 74,758 | Biden |
| 2023 | 91,712 | Biden |
Then, following a series of executive actions aimed at reducing GHG emissions from federal lands, leases dropped sharply during the Biden administration. In 2021, the Democrat temporarily paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands.
Since Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, Biden has moved to further limit oil drilling.
The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently finalized the restrictions on an oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the largest wildlife refuge in the country. In its decision, the BLM limited the lease sales to 400,000 acres, which is one-quarter of the refuge’s coastal plain section.
Environmental groups have opposed oil development in the refuge for decades, while Trump has said his new administration would pursue oil drilling in the area.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic showing how much Americans spend on gas in each state.
Misc
Ranked: The Top Countries Relying on Mining Exports
For these economies, mining exports (minerals, ores, and metals) are the primary category of goods sent abroad.
Ranked: The Top Countries Relying on Mining Exports
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.
This graphic ranks the countries where mining exports (minerals, ores, and metals) are more than 60% of their total exports. Data is from sourced from UN Trade and Development, based on 2019–2021 averaged figures
This sort of resource dependency can make a country vulnerable to economic shocks via price fluctuations.
Diamonds, Gold, and Copper: Key Exports for Many Countries
Around 90% of Botswana’s exports are concentrated in mining, making it the most mineral resource dependent country in the world. Within the sector, diamonds alone account for 80% of all exports.
As a result, Botswana is the top producer of raw, uncut diamonds in the world. The IMF estimates that 25% of the country’s $20 billion GDP is from diamond mining.
| Rank | Country | % of Exports from Mining | Top Mineral/Metal Export (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 92% | 💎 Diamonds |
| 2 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 87% | 🏅 Gold |
| 3 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 85% | 🏅 Gold |
| 4 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 84% | 🏅 Gold |
| 5 | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 83% | 🏅 Gold |
| 6 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 79% | 🪨 Copper |
| 7 | 🇨🇩 DRC | 77% | 🪨 Copper |
| 8 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 66% | 🏅 Gold |
| 9 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 64% | 🏅 Gold |
| 10 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 62% | 🏅 Gold |
| 11 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 61% | 💎 Diamonds |
| 12 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 61% | 🪨 Copper |
Figures rounded. The top mining export per country sourced from The Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Meanwhile, in Mali (#3), Burkina Faso (#4), and Suriname (#5) gold is responsible for most of the mining export dependency. However, Guinea (#2) also exports a significant amount of aluminum ore as well.
In Zambia (#6) and the DRC (#7) where more than 70% of their exports are from mining, copper plays a crucial role. However Zambia also exports a significant amount of gold, and the DRC is a major cobalt exporter.
Of the top 10 countries whose exports are predominantly mining-based, seven are from Africa.
It’s also apparent that this kind of commodity dependence is more common in developing economies (wealthy oil nations are exceptions to the rule). And as commodity demand tends to run in boom-bust cycles, it leaves these less-wealthy countries particularly susceptible to price shocks.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
Resource dependency comes in many flavors. Check out Ranked: The Countries Most Dependent on Agricultural Exports for the economies where food products take center stage.
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