Cobalt
World mine production and reserves, 2024–2025
Share of world mine production, 2025 · world total 310,000 metric tons
- DR Congo 73%
- Indonesia 14%
- Russia 2.4%
- Madagascar 1.2%
- Australia 1.2%
- Philippines 1.2%
- Canada 1.1%
- Papua New Guinea 0.9%
- All other countries 4.9%
DR Congo accounted for 73% of world mine production of cobalt in 2025 (230,000 metric tons). The three largest producers, DR Congo, Indonesia, and Russia, together supplied 90%. Net imports covered 79% of U.S. cobalt consumption in 2025. Among the main producers, Indonesia changed most: +26% on 2024.
Producer log
12 countries listed separately
| Country | Mine production 2024 | Mine production 2025 | Share of world 2025 | Change on 2024 | Reserves | Share of world reserves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 226,000 | 230,000 | 73% | +1.8% | 6,000,000 | 50% |
| Indonesia | 35,000 | 44,000 | 14% | +26% | 760,000 | 6.3% |
| Russia | 8,000 | 7,700 | 2.4% | −3.8% | 800,000 | 6.7% |
| Madagascar | 3,100 | 3,900 | 1.2% | +26% | 100,000 | 0.8% |
| Australia | 4,780 | 3,700 | 1.2% | −23% | 1,700,000 | 14% |
| Philippines | 3,100 | 3,700 | 1.2% | +19% | 260,000 | 2.2% |
| Canada | 3,350 | 3,500 | 1.1% | +4.5% | 220,000 | 1.8% |
| Papua New Guinea | 2,630 | 2,800 | 0.9% | +6.5% | 84,000 | 0.7% |
| China | 2,000 | 2,000 | 0.6% | 0% | 160,000 | 1.3% |
| Cuba | 3,450 | 2,000 | 0.6% | −42% | 500,000 | 4.2% |
| Turkey | 2,200 | 1,900 | 0.6% | −14% | 91,000 | 0.8% |
| United States | 200 | 300 | 0.1% | +50% | 70,000 | 0.6% |
| Other countries | 7,780 | 9,100 | 2.9% | 780,000 | ||
| World total | 302,000 | 310,000 | 100% | +2.6% | 12,000,000 | 100% |
Output versus reserves
same commodity, two measures
Mine production, 2025
- DR Congo 73%
- Indonesia 14%
- Russia 2.4%
- Madagascar 1.2%
- Australia 1.2%
- All other countries 8%
Reserves (world 12 million metric tons)
- DR Congo 50%
- Australia 14%
- Russia 6.7%
- Indonesia 6.3%
- Cuba 4.2%
- All other countries 19%
Reserves are the part of identified deposits that USGS considers economic to extract now; they change as prices, technology and surveys change. At the 2025 rate, the world reserve figure equals about 39 years of output.
United States
supply, trade and import sources
Net import reliance in 2025, as a percentage of apparent consumption.
Import sources of metal, oxide, and salts, 2021–24
- Norway 26%
- Finland 16%
- Canada 14%
- Japan 14%
- Other countries 30%
Uses named for it in the 2025 critical minerals list: batteries and metallurgy.
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production: Mine | 650 | 500 | 500 | 200 | 300 |
| Production: Secondary | 1,800 | 1,920 | 2,030 | 2,050 | 2,000 |
| Imports for consumption | 9,790 | 10,500 | 9,500 | 10,800 | 14,000 |
| Exports | 4,930 | 5,360 | 5,110 | 4,880 | 4,500 |
| Consumption (includes secondary): Estimated | 7,270 | 7,570 | 7,840 | 7,830 | 8,000 |
| Consumption (includes secondary): Apparent | 6,650 | 7,150 | 6,440 | 7,960 | 9,600 |
| Stocks, yearend: Industry | 1,010 | 946 | 925 | 956 | 1,500 |
| Stocks, yearend: LME, U.S. warehouse | 50 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cobalt chapter (PDF page 78). How to read these figures.