Net profit margin of the top mining companies 2002-2024

In 2011, the net profit margin of the mining industry's 40 leading companies was approximately 24 percent. Twelve years later, in 2023, the net profit margin stood at 11 percent. 

Profits of the top mining companies

The net profit margin (also known as profit margin, net margin, net profit ratio) is a measurement to describe the profitability of a company. It is calculated by dividing the net income by the total revenue (or net profit by sales). For 2023, it means that the top 40 mining companies kept 11 cents of profit out of every U.S. dollar they earned. The average net profit margin of the world’s top 40 mining companies stood at some seven percent in 2014, but decreased to negative seven percent in 2015, and then rebounded to 11 percent in 2023. These figures are a distinct decrease when compared to the years before. 

In 2023, the top 40 mining companies in the world generated a net profit of approximately 90 billion U.S. dollars.

The global top 40 mining companies, which represent the vast majority of the industry, generated more than 840 billion U.S. dollars of revenue in 2023. In terms of quantity, these companies produce most of all coal (including thermal and metallurgical coal), iron ore, and bauxite.