Global zinc production 2023, by leading country

In 2023, China's zinc mines produced approximately four million metric tons of zinc. Accordingly, China is the world's largest producer of the base metal zinc. Peru and Australia were the second- and third-largest zinc mining countries in the world in 2023, respectively.

What is zinc used for?

Zinc has a variety of end-uses, but the most common application is galvanizing, where zinc is applied to iron or steel as a protective coating. In the coming decade, the demand for zinc in renewable energy applications is forecast to increase. For example, zinc is used for corrosion protection in structural components of solar panels and wind turbines. In addition, zinc is required for the production of certain battery types.

Rising zinc prices

The consumption of refined zinc has steadily risen over the past two decades. In turn, the price of zinc in various marketplaces has increased overall in recent years. In 2022, the price of zinc in North America stood at 1.90 U.S. dollars per pound, while zinc prices on the London Metal Exchange reached 1.20 U.S. dollars per pound in 2023.