Madhumitha Jaganmohan
Research expert covering climate and environmental sustainability
Global uranium mining industry - statistics & facts
In line with the rise of nuclear energy since the 1950's, uranium has become a pivotal commodity. This is especially true for countries that are highly dependent on nuclear energy to fulfill their domestic energy needs. Global uranium production stood at some 49,355 metric tons in 2022. With a production of approximately 21,227 metric tons that year, Kazakhstan is the largest single producer of uranium in the world by a significant margin. Other top uranium producers include Canada, Namibia, and Australia.
Largest uranium mines in the world
The world’s largest uranium producing mine is Cigar Lake in Canada. Some 6,928 metric tons of uranium were extracted there in 2022. The second-largest mine was Husab in Namibia, with 3,358 metric tons of uranium produced that year. Approximately 56 percent of the uranium worldwide was produced by the in-situ leaching mining method that year.The leading uranium mining companies
Kazakh state-owned KazAtomProm is the world’s leading uranium mining company, having produced about 11,373 metric tons in 2022. The Canadian company Cameco and France's Orano followed in second and third place, respectively, that year. Just 10 companies accounted for 91 percent of the total global mine production of uranium in 2022.Leading nuclear energy producers: the largest uranium consuming nations
The leading consumers of uranium worldwide are the countries with the highest share of nuclear energy: the United States, China, and France. The U.S. used nearly 18,050 metric tons of uranium in 2022. That was more than twice as much as France, which ranked third. Although there are global tendencies towards alternative energies, the worldwide nuclear energy consumption has remained consistent over the past decade. This suggests that uranium will likely continue to be an important commodity for decades to come.
