Natural ResourcesMay 5, 2024
The Democratic Republic of Congo Produces 74% of Global Cobalt
@Elements
What we’re showing?
Estimated cobalt production by country in 2023, in metric tons.
Key takeaways
- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for 74% of the world's cobalt output.
- Around 20% of the cobalt mined in the DRC originates from small-scale artisanal mines, often employing child labor.
- The electric vehicle (EV) sector constitutes 40% of the overall cobalt market.
Dataset
| Country | metric tons | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇩 DRC | 170,000 | 74% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 17,000 | 7% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 8,800 | 4% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 4,600 | 2% |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 4,000 | 2% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 3,800 | 2% |
| 🌍 Other Countries | 21,100 | 9.00% |
| Total | 229,300 | 100% |
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