Top 10 countries for magnesium production in 2025
Global magnesium production snapshot
Primary magnesium metal output is measured at the smelter (primary production). The latest USGS estimates indicate a highly concentrated global supply base in 2024 (used here as the closest proxy for 2025).
Key numbers
Top producers table (2024 estimate, proxy for 2025)
| Rank | Country | Primary magnesium (t) | Share of world |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 950,000 | 95.00% |
| 2 | Brazil | 20,000 | 2.00% |
| 3 | Israel | 20,000 | 2.00% |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 20,000 | 2.00% |
| 5 | Russia | 15,000 | 1.50% |
| 6 | Turkey | 15,000 | 1.50% |
| 7 | Iran | 5,000 | 0.50% |
Metric: world primary magnesium smelter production (estimate). Reference year shown is 2024 and is used as a proxy for 2025. World total is rounded in the source table.
Chart: primary magnesium output by country
- China — 950
- Brazil — 20
- Israel — 20
- Kazakhstan — 20
- Russia — 15
- Turkey — 15
- Iran — 5
Methodology
The ranking uses the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS) “Magnesium Metal” data sheet. The most recent fully comparable world table in that sheet reports estimated smelter production for 2023 and 2024 and estimated smelter capacity for 2024. The article treats 2024 estimates as the closest proxy for the 2025 production landscape, because the MCS is published with a lag relative to the production year. Values are reported by USGS in thousand metric tons; totals are shown as “world total (rounded)” in the source table. Country shares in this page are computed as: (country production ÷ world total) × 100.
“Primary magnesium” refers to magnesium metal produced from feedstocks such as brines and minerals at a smelter, excluding secondary magnesium recovered from scrap. Estimates may be revised in later editions, and some national figures may be zero, not reported, or aggregated under broader groupings depending on data availability and confidentiality constraints.
Insights from the 2024 proxy data
Extreme concentration: With China at ~95% of estimated world primary output, small absolute changes in one geography can dominate the global balance.
Capacity vs. realized output: The USGS table reports capacity materially above output in several places, indicating idle or constrained utilization in parts of the system.
Small non-China base: The combined output of other listed producers is ~50,000 tons in the proxy year, limiting diversification in the near term without new capacity ramp-ups.
What this means in practice
Magnesium is a lightweight structural metal used in aluminum alloys, castings, and metallurgical applications. A supply base dominated by one producer increases sensitivity to energy constraints, policy enforcement cycles, and logistics disruptions. The USGS sheet also notes that U.S. primary production was estimated to have stopped in 2022 and capacity remained idle through 2024, highlighting how quickly domestic availability can shift even when technical capacity exists.
FAQ
What does “primary magnesium production” measure?
It measures magnesium metal produced at a smelter from raw feedstocks (such as brines or minerals). It does not include magnesium recovered from scrap (“secondary” magnesium).
Why is China so dominant in the latest estimates?
The USGS world table shows China producing 950 thousand metric tons out of a rounded world total of 1,000 thousand metric tons in the proxy year, indicating a very high share of global primary output.
Why is U.S. primary magnesium shown as zero?
The USGS data sheet states that U.S. primary production was estimated to have stopped in 2022 and that capacity was idle through 2024 in the only U.S. primary smelter listed in the table.
How is this different from magnesite or magnesia statistics?
Magnesite and magnesia are minerals/materials used in refractories and chemical processes and can be upstream inputs. “Magnesium metal” is the primary metal output measured at smelters.
Are the 2025 values measured or estimated?
This page uses the latest USGS estimates for 2024 as a proxy for the 2025 production landscape. The USGS table labels the production values as estimates and the world total as rounded.
Does the ranking include secondary (recycled) magnesium?
No. The ranking is based on primary smelter production. Secondary magnesium from new and old scrap is tracked separately in the USGS sheet for the United States.
Full table (USGS world list) + growth scatter
Countries below replicate the USGS “world primary production” lines for magnesium metal, with computed shares and year-over-year change (2024e vs 2023). The proxy year is 2024, used to represent the 2025 production landscape.
| Rank | Country | Output | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 950,000Metric tons (2024e) 95.00%Share of world total | +18.0% |
| 2 | Brazil | 20,000Metric tons (2024e) 2.00%Share of world total | +0.0% |
| 3 | Israel | 20,000Metric tons (2024e) 2.00%Share of world total | +17.6% |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 20,000Metric tons (2024e) 2.00%Share of world total | −9.1% |
| 5 | Russia | 15,000Metric tons (2024e) 1.50%Share of world total | −16.7% |
| 6 | Turkey | 15,000Metric tons (2024e) 1.50%Share of world total | +15.4% |
| 7 | Iran | 5,000Metric tons (2024e) 0.50%Share of world total | +0.0% |
Output and world totals are based on USGS estimates in the Magnesium Metal data sheet (MCS 2025). Shares and YoY are computed from the table values (world total is rounded).
Scatter: output vs. YoY change
X-axis: production (thousand metric tons, 2024e). Y-axis: YoY change (2024e vs 2023).
- China: (950, +18.0%)
- Brazil: (20, +0.0%)
- Israel: (20, +17.6%)
- Kazakhstan: (20, −9.1%)
- Russia: (15, −16.7%)
- Turkey: (15, +15.4%)
- Iran: (5, +0.0%)
Interpretation and policy takeaways
The proxy year’s production structure (2024e) shows a concentrated supply base for primary magnesium metal, with a small set of producers outside China operating at much smaller scale.
How to read the ranking
The table and charts in Parts 1–2 measure primary magnesium metal output at the smelter (production from raw feedstocks). The USGS world table reports both production (2023–2024 estimates) and capacity (2024 estimate). In the same USGS sheet, U.S. primary production is described as having stopped in 2022 and capacity as idle through 2024; that combination illustrates how capacity and realized output can diverge materially in this commodity.
- System concentration: a single producer accounts for the majority of global output in the proxy year, increasing sensitivity to localized constraints.
- Small non-China base: the combined scale of other listed producers is measured in tens of thousands of tons, limiting short-term diversification in primary metal availability.
- Capacity signals: reported capacity above reported output can reflect idle assets, temporary outages, input constraints, or market conditions affecting utilization.
Policy and industrial takeaways
Magnesium supply is often discussed in the context of lightweighting demand (transportation and alloys) and metallurgical uses. In a supply landscape where output is concentrated, policy discussions typically focus on resilience levers such as diversified sourcing, domestic pilot-scale development, and scrap recovery pathways. The USGS sheet notes that the U.S. Department of Defense awarded financing through the Defense Production Act Title III program for a pilot plant in California aimed at producing magnesium from sea brine, illustrating an example of strategic interest in expanding production options.
- Resilience framing: diversification and utilization stability are central themes where a single producer dominates the global balance.
- Industrial policy instruments: public financing and pilot-scale development appear in the official narrative as mechanisms to expand optionality.
- Data discipline: production and capacity estimates can be revised, and totals may be rounded; comparative analysis benefits from consistent definitions (primary vs secondary).
Sources (clickable)
- USGS — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 (Magnesium Metal) https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-magnesium-metal.pdf World production & capacity table; U.S. market notes used for the 2024 proxy view.
- USGS — Magnesium statistics and information https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/magnesium-statistics-and-information Commodity overview and related publications.
-
World Bank — Country income group metadata (filters)
Israel (ISR): https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/jobs/country/ISR
Brazil (BRA): https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/jobs/country/BRA
Kazakhstan (KAZ): https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/jobs/country/KAZ
Türkiye (TUR): https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/global-findex-database/country/TUR - World Bank — Russia income classification note https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/leadership/directors/eds23/brief/russia-was-classified-as-high-income-country Reference used for income-group tagging context.
- USGS — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 landing page https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/mcs2026 Context page for the next edition that will incorporate additional 2025 production updates.
