World Mineral Production has provided a reliable and continuous set of data covering the minerals that enter international trade since 1913. The latest volume includes production figures for more than 70 mineral commodities over the five-year period from 2019 to 2023.

Key considerations

During 2023, there were several challenges for researchers to overcome, including volatility in areas such as the Middle East, Ukraine, South America and central Africa, which drove conflict as well as political and civil unrest. There was a general decrease in mineral output from these regions and obtaining mineral production data became especially challenging.

China increasingly key role in the supply of minerals crucial for green energy technologies and energy infrastructure became increasingly prominent. This supply includes graphite, refined gallium and germanium; China provides more than 70 per cent of global supply of these materials. China also imposed export restrictions on the trade of refined gallium and germanium in response to export restrictions that Europe placed on the trade of technology used to manufacture semiconductors, alongside export restrictions on certain graphite products. China cited national security concerns in the context of increasing US controls.

Over the past five years, several commodities experienced a significant decrease in their production volume, such as:

• Chinese tungsten, which decreased by about 18 per cent and has contributed to the overall global decrease in tungsten output of about 15 per cent — growing concerns about tungsten supply have led several other countries to increase investment in the tungsten sector
• mercury production decreased by 45 per cent during the past five years
  

Global production of lithium, nickel and cobalt continued to increase during 2023 because of their importance in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries and energy storage systems:

• lithium saw the greatest increase in 2023, with a 30 per cent rise on 2022 production
• cobalt production increased significantly in 2023 by almost 23 per cent
• global nickel production in the last five years has increased by 47 per cent: in the last year alone it has grown by more than 15 per cent, driven by huge growth in Indonesia

International interest

International interest in the security of supply of minerals also continues to grow. The UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) is hosted by BGS. Notable publications during the last year include the UK 2024 Criticality Assessment and several foresight studies: these and other reports can be downloaded from the .

Previous volumes

can be found on the Minerals UK website. The information is compiled from a wide range of sources including government departments, national statistical offices, specialist commodity authorities, company reports and a network of contacts throughout the world.

Contact

For more information, please contact Naomi Idoine.

A groundbreaking development by BGS in mineral data accessibility uses the Open Geospatial Consortium Application Programming Interface (OGC API) ‘Features’ standard, transforming how users interact with and interrogate an invaluable resource.

A wealth of data at your fingertips

The is the cornerstone for understanding global mineral production and trade. It houses decades of meticulously collected data on over 70 mineral commodities across numerous countries. Previously, this information was only accessible from pre-formatted reports or by requesting manual extraction for data.

Adding this treasure trove of data to our OGC API Features service allows users to query the data for themselves. This means it is now readily accessible to a much broader audience. Developers, researchers, policymakers and industry professionals can now seamlessly integrate mineral statistics into their applications, analyses and decision-making processes.

Harnessing the power of OGC API Features

The decision to adopt the OGC API Features standard is a strategic move that ensures interoperability and compatibility with a wide range of software and systems. This open standard ensures that the data will work with existing tools for data discovery, retrieval and visualisation, empowering users to explore and analyse mineral statistics data with unprecedented ease.

Key benefits of using OGC API Features include:Key benefits of using OGC API Features include:

• standardised data access: consistent API structure for easy integration
• flexible data retrieval: ability to query specific data subsets based on various criteria

• Example URL:
• An is also available

Unlocking new possibilities

51ÁÔÆæ’s new API opens a world of possibilities for data-driven insights and innovation. Potential applications include:

• historical market analysis: tracking global production volumes and UK trade flows
• policy development: informing resource management and sustainability strategies

By making the BGS World Mineral Statistics Database more accessible and user friendly, BGS is fostering a vibrant ecosystem of data-driven applications and services. This move aligns with the growing trend towards open data and data-driven innovation, driving economic growth and sustainable development.

51ÁÔÆæ’s commitment to open data and collaboration sets a commendable example for other data custodians in the public and private sectors.

Edd Lewis, data standards lead at BGS.

Other data services

µþ³Ò³§ OGC Catalogue service for the web (CSW) provides a standards-based interface to discover, browse and query metadata about BGS datasets and data services.

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Published annually by BGS, the UK Minerals Yearbook provides comprehensive statistical data on minerals production, consumption and trade. It is of value to all those interested in Britain’s minerals industry and its contribution to the national economy.

Mineral production in the UK is back at around pre-COVID-19 levels, but there was a decline in mineral production in 2022 due to a decline in demand from the construction sector.

In the UK 185.9 million tonnes of minerals were extracted from the landmass for sale in 2022. These can be broken down into the following main categories, with percentages of total production in brackets:

• 126.4 million tonnes of crushed rock (for both construction and industrial uses) (68 per cent)
• 40.3 million tonnes of sand and gravel (21.7 per cent)
• 6.6 million tonnes of other construction minerals (3.5 per cent)
• 10.3 million tonnes industrial minerals (other than those within crushed rock) (5.5 per cent)
•  0.7 million tonnes of coal (0.4 per cent)
• 1.5 million tonnes of oil and gas (oil equivalent) (0.8 per cent)

A further 91.3 million tonnes, mostly oil and gas (oil equivalent) but also marine-dredged sand and gravel, were extracted from the UK continental shelf.

The UK Minerals Yearbook 2023 is available to view and download from the .

51ÁÔÆæ and its predecessor organisations have compiled production and trade statistics on a wide range of mineral commodities since 1913 and the latest edition of World Mineral Production is now available to download for free. This volume contains mineral production statistics for the five-year period 2018 to 2022, for more than 70 mineral commodities, by country and worldwide.

This volume provides essential mineral intelligence for:

• security of supply issue
• economic analyses
• environmental issues
• sustainable development planning
• regulation and policy issues
• commercial strategic planning

Highlights

• New mineral production data for 2022
• A revised platinum group metals table containing more detailed PGM data

The Russian conflict with Ukraine has caused every mineral commodity produced in Ukraine to decrease by at least 30 per cent and as much as 91 per cent in the case of copper. Many countries are trying to reduce their reliance on minerals sourced from Russia, but this can prove challenging as it is one of the largest mineral-producing nations in the world.

The increase in energy prices in 2022 across Europe has also affected the energy-dependent commodities in the alumina, primary aluminium and zinc producing companies. Alumina production in Europe dropped by more than 25 per cent.

Despite this, production of a few commodities increased considerably during 2022:

• Cobalt increased by more than 20 per cent on 2021

• Lithium production increased the most in 2022 at 27 per cent and by 49 per cent over a five-year period
• Global nickel production has increased 37 per cent in the past five years, driven by the demand for vehicle batteries
• Zirconium, which is vital for use in nuclear reactor fuel rods and components, increased by 26 per cent in 2022, as nations endeavoured to reduce carbon emissions and broaden energy sources

International interest

International interest in the security of supply of minerals continues to grow. The recently created , hosted by BGS, aims to collect and analyse information on the supply of critical minerals vital to the UK economic success and national security. It will guide decision making and research on critical raw materials, with increasing focus on those required for the clean energy transition.

Previous volumes

can be found on the Minerals UK website. The information is compiled from a wide range of sources including government departments, national statistical offices, specialist commodity authorities, company reports and a network of contacts throughout the world.

Contact

For more information please contact Clive Mitchell or Naomi Idoine.