Iron ore prices 2000-2023

In 2023, iron ore was worth an average of approximately 120 U.S. dollars per dry metric ton unit (dmtu), compared to only 29 U.S. dollars per dmtu in 2000. The month with the highest average iron ore price in 2021 was June, at over 200 U.S. dollars per dmtu. 

Iron ore: market context and price fluctuation

Iron ore is composed of minerals and rocks from which metallic iron can be extracted. Iron ore is an important part of the world economy, as a large proportion of iron ore is used to make steel, which is a widely used material globally. In a given year, the monthly price of iron ore varies noticeably, ranging for example from a high of 214.43 U.S. dollars per dmtu in June 2021 down to a low of 96.24 U.S. dollars per dmtu in November 2021.

Major iron ore producing nations

Australia has the world's largest iron ore reserves, at 51 billion metric tons of crude iron ore and is also the world's largest producer of iron ore. Not surprisingly, China, the world's leading steel manufacturer, is also the world's leading importer of iron. In recent years, China's iron imports have increased significantly, from 207.98 million metric tons in 2004, to over one billion metric tons in 2018.