M. Garside
Research lead covering energy, chemicals & resources
Global silicon mining - statistics & facts
Silicon, a metal that is prominently used in electronics, is the second most common element in the Earth’s crust despite being difficult to find in nature as a pure element. The total production volume of silicon worldwide in 2023 amounted to an estimated nine million metric tons, with China alone accounting for almost three-quarters of global production. Other major silicon producers include Russia, Brazil, and Norway.
Silicon wafers, silicones, solar panels, and more: what is silicon used for?
Silicon is used in the production of steel, cast irons, superalloys and other alloys, as well as in ceramics and bricks, among other more high-profile uses. As the similarities in the names suggest, silicon is also the basis for omnipresent silicones - silicon-based polymers. As polysilicon—a particularly pure form of silicon—silicon is vital for the photovoltaic industry, with polysilicon demand for solar PV expected to have a compound annual growth rate of almost 14 percent between 2022 and 2027. Perhaps the most prominent use of silicon overall is the use of highly refined silicon wafers in electronics, often as semiconductors for discrete devices and integrated circuits. The global silicon chip/semiconductor shortage also thrust silicon into the international spotlight when it began during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued through to 2022. Along with the increased consumption of electronics, the global production of silicon and annual global shipments of silicon wafers have increased considerably over the past decade. Interestingly, despite being the world's leading silicon producing country, China's share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity was only seven percent in 2022.Silicon demand and international trade
With silicon's end-use applications only growing in global importance, silicon trade is a crucial piece of supply chains for countries whose domestic production is inadequate or nonexistent. In 2022, worldwide refined silicon consumption amounted to 3.8 million metric tons, while polysilicon consumption amounted to nearly 670,000 metric tons. Global imports of silicon metal amounted to nearly 257,000 metric tons that year, with ferrosilicon imports in second place at almost 212,000 metric tons, and polysilicon imports amounting to a distant 5,098 metric tons. Conversely, global silicon metal exports were the lowest of these three silicon types in 2022, at 18,700 metric tons, while ferrosilicon exports were the highest at almost 78,000 metric tons, and polysilicon exports came second at almost 68,000 metric tons. Going forward, silicon demand is expected to have continued, if slow, growth as a result of ongoing consumer electronic demand alongside emerging technologies that will use silicon, such as generative artificial intelligence.
