Global bauxite mine production 2023, by country

Australia is the world's largest producer of bauxite, with an estimated output amounting to 98 million metric tons in 2023. Accordingly, Australia is also home to some of the biggest mines of bauxite across the globe.

Aluminum production from bauxite

Bauxite is a type of aluminum ore and is one of the main sources of aluminum in the world. To produce aluminum, bauxite is crushed and purified through the Bayer Process. It is a heavily energy intensive process and thus is often produced in regions where energy costs are the lowest. China is by far the leading smelter producer of aluminum in the world. In order to lower the power costs associated with aluminum production and to prolong the existence of bauxite reserves worldwide, aluminum can also be recycled. Nevertheless, reserves remain fairly high even at current production levels.

Global bauxite production

Closely following Australia, Guinea is the second-largest producer of bauxite across the world. In 2023, the West African country produced an estimated 97 million metric tons worth of bauxite. In addition to that, Guinea also holds the world’s largest reserves of bauxite. Altogether, the global production of bauxite has been on a mostly upward trend over the last decade, reaching some 400 million metric tons in recent years.