Mining Industry 2026

Top insights for Mining Markets:

Estimated global mine production of copper decreased slightly to 20 million tons in 2019 from 20.4 million tons in 2018, owing primarily to reduced output from the Batu Hijau and Grasberg Mines in Indonesia, where mining was shifting to new ore zones.

In 2017, world platinum mine production increased by 4% to 199,000 kg with South Africa accounting for 72%; Russia, 11%; Zimbabwe, 7%; Canada, 5%; the United States, 2%, and other countries, 3%.

Global manganese metal production decreased sharply by 16% in January 2020, to 103,500 mt, almost 20% lower than in the same period of the previous year.

World silver mine production increased slightly in 2019 to an estimated 27,000 tons, principally as a result of increased production from mines in Argentina, Australia, Mexico, and Poland.

Global gold mine production in the first half of 2019 was 1,642 tonnes, representing a 3.6% rise from the same period last year.

Overview per country:

• Australia: The mining sector (incorporating coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and metal ore and non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying) is Australia's biggest export sector, accounting for 54 per cent of Australia's merchandise exports in 2016-17, and employing around 215,000 people.
• China: China is the world's top gold producer, and in 2017 gold production (as a by-product of base metals mining) declined by 15.7% on a year on year basis due to Beijing forcing operations located in nature reserves to reduce or terminate their gold production.
• South Africa: Exports of mining and mineral products accounted for 36.2% of merchandise exports in 2017, slightly lower than the 38.2% share recorded in 2010.
• Mongolia: In 2017, extractive industries accounted for 22% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 21% of government revenue, but the true contribution of the mining sector to overall economic performance is much larger if one takes into account its impact on other economic sectors. By the preliminary results of the first quarter of 2020, in mining and quarrying sector, extraction of gold was increased by 84.4 percent compared to the same period of previous year.

Top view datapoints for Mining Markets:

• Mining and Quarrying Output in the US - 1997 to 2019
• Forecast: Mining and Quarrying Output in the US - 2019 to 2023
• Coal Production in China - 1981 to 2019
• Forecast [COVID-19 updated]: Coal Production in China - 2019 to 2023