Madhumitha Jaganmohan
Research expert covering climate and environmental sustainability
Global zinc industry - statistics & facts
From galvanizing steel to dietary supplements, zinc, a solid transition metal has many uses and applications. The majority of zinc mining occurs underground, but this production method generates just over half of the total production volume. As zinc ores contain small concentrations of zinc, they must often be crushed for optimal separation from other minerals. There are several processes to obtain more zinc concentrates, such as roasting and sintering for zinc blende or the pyrometallurgical process. In 2023, the total production of zinc worldwide amounted to nearly 12.3 million metric tons.
Zinc mine production is expected to increase steadily over the next decade, with Australia, India, and the United States contributing significantly to this growth.
Zinc reserves and production country comparison
Global zinc reserves amounted to 220 million metric tons in 2023. The two largest producers of zinc, however, were China and Peru, with the former producing approximately four million metric tons of Zinc in 2023. As the country with the largest zinc reserves, and the world's third-largest zinc mining country, Australia was the largest zinc exporter in 2022 based on value, with exports amounting to 2.1 billion U.S. dollars.Demand and end uses of zinc
The global demand for zinc has increased slightly since 2012. Zinc is used for different industrial processes and materials, but more than half of the global mined zinc is used to galvanize steel. The metal can be used as an anti-corrosion agent, in chemicals, and as semi-manufacturer. Zinc is often used as part of an alloy, especially in combination with copper as brass. The feasibility of using recycled or secondary zinc is increasing and depends highly on the collection rate of products containing zinc at the end of their life cycle.Zinc mine production is expected to increase steadily over the next decade, with Australia, India, and the United States contributing significantly to this growth.
