Top 12 Countries by Cobalt Mine Production, 2025
Cobalt Mine Production Leaders in the 2025 USGS Snapshot
Updated: April 29, 2026 · Data year: 2025e · Primary source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
Cobalt mine production measures the cobalt content produced from mines, not the refined cobalt chemicals or metal made later in the supply chain. The indicator matters because cobalt remains important for lithium-ion batteries, superalloys, hard metals, catalysts and strategic industrial inventories. The latest official cross-country snapshot used here is the 2025 estimated mine-production table in the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.
The official table gives 12 named countries and one “Other countries” aggregate. The ranking keeps that distinction: named countries are ranked where USGS publishes separate 2025 estimates, while the aggregate is shown separately. All values are metric tons of contained cobalt and should be read as estimates.
Overview: What the 2025 cobalt production ranking shows
The cobalt mining map is unusually concentrated. Congo (Kinshasa) is not just the largest producer; it is the market’s central supply point. USGS describes Congo as accounting for an estimated 73% of the world total in 2025, followed by Indonesia at 14%. The table values themselves are rounded, so calculated shares from the rounded world total are best used for scale rather than exact accounting.
The second structural feature is that most cobalt is mined as a by-product, especially from copper and nickel operations. This means cobalt supply can rise or fall because of decisions made in copper or nickel markets, not only because cobalt demand changes. Indonesia’s rapid rise is linked to nickel laterite processing, while Congo’s position is tied to the Central African Copperbelt.
Congo (Kinshasa) leads the 2025 estimate by a very wide margin and defines global mine-supply risk.
Indonesia is the only other country above 10,000 t in the official 2025 country table.
The median is far below the mean because the top two producers dominate the distribution.
USGS lists 12 named countries and an “Other countries” group, so the country coverage is limited to the separately reported rows.
Top cobalt mine producers in 2025
The top of the ranking is highly asymmetric. Congo’s estimated output is more than five times Indonesia’s and nearly thirty times Russia’s. Below the top two, the market becomes a collection of medium and small by-product producers, many of which are attached to nickel systems in Australia, Canada, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.
Congo (Kinshasa)
Congo dominates because cobalt is produced at large copper-cobalt operations in the Central African Copperbelt.
Indonesia
Indonesia’s cobalt growth is linked to expanding nickel laterite processing and mixed hydroxide precipitate supply chains.
Russia
Russia remains the largest producer outside the Congo-Indonesia pair, but at a much smaller scale.
Madagascar
Madagascar sits near the middle of the official table and is tied to nickel-cobalt production rather than standalone cobalt mining.
Australia
Australia has large cobalt resources, but 2025 mine output is moderate relative to its reserve base.
Philippines
The Philippines matches Australia’s rounded 2025 estimate and reflects the importance of nickel-linked cobalt output.
| Rank | Country | Mine production, 2025e |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congo (Kinshasa) | 230,000 t |
| 2 | Indonesia | 44,000 t |
| 3 | Russia | 7,700 t |
| 4 | Madagascar | 3,900 t |
| 5 | Australia | 3,700 t |
| 6 | Philippines | 3,700 t |
| 7 | Canada | 3,500 t |
| 8 | Papua New Guinea | 2,800 t |
| 9 | China | 2,000 t |
| 10 | Cuba | 2,000 t |
The short table shows named countries only. The main table includes all named countries plus the USGS “Other countries” aggregate row.
Charts: concentration at the top and reserves behind production
Chart 1. Top 10 named countries by cobalt mine production, 2025e
The chart makes the central point visible: cobalt mining is not evenly distributed. Congo and Indonesia account for almost the whole upper tier, while the rest of the official country list is measured in single-digit thousands of tons.
Chart 2. Mine production and reserve context
The reserve comparison shows why production rankings should not be read as a simple map of geological potential. Australia has a very large reserve estimate but lower 2025 output, while Congo combines both large reserves and very high current production.
Main ranking table: cobalt mine production by country, 2025
The table uses USGS 2025 estimated mine production in metric tons of contained cobalt. The “Other countries” row is an aggregate and is marked as such; it is useful for understanding coverage but should not be treated as a single country.
| Rank | Country or group | Mine production, 2025e | Change vs. 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congo (Kinshasa) | 230,000 t | +1.8% |
| 2 | Indonesia | 44,000 t | +25.7% |
| 3 | Russia | 7,700 t | −3.8% |
| 4 | Madagascar | 3,900 t | +25.8% |
| 5 | Australia | 3,700 t | −22.6% |
| 6 | Philippines | 3,700 t | +19.4% |
| 7 | Canada | 3,500 t | +4.5% |
| 8 | Papua New Guinea | 2,800 t | +6.5% |
| 9 | China | 2,000 t | 0.0% |
| 10 | Cuba | 2,000 t | −42.0% |
| 11 | Turkey | 1,900 t | −13.6% |
| 12 | United States | 300 t | +50.0% |
| Aggregate | Other countries | 9,100 t | +17.0% |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, cobalt chapter. World total: 310,000 metric tons, rounded. Share values use the rounded world total; because USGS rounds country rows and world totals independently, shares are approximate and may not add exactly to 100%.
Methodology
The ranking is based on mine production, measured as metric tons of cobalt content. This is different from refined cobalt output, cobalt chemicals, battery precursor production, reserves or exports. Mine production captures the upstream source of cobalt-bearing material before later processing, refining and trade flows reshape the supply chain.
Data year and reference point
The data year is 2025 estimated production, marked by USGS as 2025e. The source is the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 cobalt chapter, published in February 2026. It provides the comparable country table for 2025 mine production and reserves across the main producing countries.
Coverage and country count
USGS publishes separate 2025 estimates for 12 named countries and one “Other countries” aggregate. The aggregate is kept as an aggregate because it is not a single country. The country ranking therefore follows the maximum separately reported country detail available from the source.
Ranking, changes and shares
Named countries are ranked from highest to lowest 2025 estimated output. Year-over-year change is calculated from the published 2024 and 2025 rounded values. The share display divides each 2025 value by the rounded world total of 310,000 t, so it is an approximate scale indicator rather than an audited market-share calculation.
Rounding and comparability limits
USGS values are estimates and are rounded. Country totals, world totals and aggregate categories may be revised when company or government reports change. Mine production also does not show where cobalt is refined or consumed; China, for example, is a small mined-cobalt producer in this table but remains central in refining and battery-material supply chains.
The ranking is not an environmental, labor, investment or geopolitical risk score. It shows estimated mine output only. For procurement, policy or due-diligence work, it should be read together with refining capacity, ownership, trade restrictions, processing location, artisanal mining exposure, reserves, recycling and end-use demand.
Insights: how to read the 2025 cobalt supply structure
The upper tier is effectively a two-country system. Congo is the primary source of mined cobalt, while Indonesia is the only large second pole. This matters because any disruption, quota, policy change or logistics issue in Congo can move the global cobalt market more than normal production changes in several smaller producing countries combined.
The middle of the table is made up of countries producing a few thousand tons per year. Russia, Madagascar, Australia, the Philippines, Canada and Papua New Guinea are important for diversification, but none of them is close to Indonesia’s scale in 2025. Their role is best understood as a supply-security buffer rather than a replacement for the dominant producers.
The lower part of the named-country list shows why reserves and production are different concepts. Australia and Cuba have meaningful reserve bases, yet their 2025 mine production is modest. Project economics, by-product dependence, processing routes, permitting, prices and company investment plans can matter more for short-term output than geology alone.
One unusual feature of cobalt is the gap between mining and refining geography. The 2025 mining table is led by Congo and Indonesia, but USGS also notes China’s leading role in refined cobalt production and consumption, especially for lithium-ion batteries. For readers comparing supply chains, that distinction is essential: mining concentration and refining concentration are separate risks that can compound each other.
What this means for readers
For a reader following batteries, electric vehicles, aerospace, defense procurement or critical minerals policy, this ranking explains where upstream cobalt risk begins. A high rank means a country is important to mined supply; it does not automatically mean that the country captures most refining value, battery value or final manufacturing value.
The practical use of the ranking is context. It helps explain why cobalt contracts, inventory strategies and government critical-minerals policies often focus on Congo, Indonesia and refining diversification. It also helps avoid a common mistake: assuming that a country with reserves is already a major current producer, or that a country with refining capacity must also be a major mine producer.
FAQ
Why are there only 12 named countries if the topic asks for Top 13?
USGS publishes 12 named countries in the 2025 cobalt mine-production table and then adds an “Other countries” aggregate. The aggregate is useful for world coverage, but it is not a country. The article therefore uses the maximum official named-country coverage available.
Does mine production mean refined cobalt production?
No. Mine production measures cobalt contained in mined material. Refined cobalt is produced later through processing and refining. A country can be a small mine producer but a large refiner, or a large mine producer whose material is refined elsewhere.
Why does Congo dominate the cobalt ranking?
Congo has large copper-cobalt deposits in the Central African Copperbelt and hosts major industrial operations. That geological and industrial base makes it the main source of mined cobalt globally.
Why is Indonesia rising so quickly in cobalt supply?
Indonesia’s rise is linked to nickel laterite projects and processing routes that also produce cobalt-bearing intermediate products. Cobalt growth there is connected to the nickel and battery-materials supply chain.
Why do reserves not match production rankings?
Reserves show economically recoverable material under current assumptions, while production depends on operating mines, processing capacity, prices, by-product economics, permitting and company plans. A country can have large reserves but modest current production.
Can the 2025 numbers be revised later?
Yes. The 2025 values are estimates. USGS regularly revises mineral production tables when company reports, government data or methodology updates provide better information.
Is cobalt still important if some batteries use less cobalt?
Yes. Some battery chemistries reduce or remove cobalt, but cobalt remains important in many battery, aerospace, industrial and chemical applications. Lower cobalt intensity can change demand growth, but it does not eliminate the need to understand mine supply concentration.
Sources
The ranking is based on official and intergovernmental sources, with USGS used for country production values and IEA used for critical-minerals supply-chain context.
Primary source for 2024 and 2025e mine production, reserves, world total, Congo and Indonesia share notes, and market events.
https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-cobalt.pdfContext for the annual USGS MCS series and its role as an early comprehensive source of mineral production data.
https://www.usgs.gov/publications/mineral-commodity-summaries-2026Background page for cobalt supply, demand and mineral-commodity information.
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/cobalt-statistics-and-informationIntergovernmental context on critical-minerals supply, demand, concentration and energy-transition supply-chain risks.
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2025Reference basis: 2025e values come from the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 cobalt chapter.
