Top 20 Countries by Rare Earth Mine Production, 2025

by StatRanker March 4, 2026 5410 17 min read

Rare earth mine production remains one of the most concentrated mineral supply chains in the world. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 reports 2025 estimated mine output and shows that global supply is still concentrated in a very small group of producing countries.

According to the USGS table, the rounded world total for 2025 is 390,000 metric tons of rare-earth-oxide equivalent. China dominates with 270,000 t REO, followed by the United States with 51,000, Australia with 29,000, and Burma (Myanmar) with 22,000. Beyond those four, mine output falls away quickly, which underlines how narrow the meaningful supply base still is.

All values are shown in metric tons of rare-earth-oxide equivalent. Shares are calculated against the rounded USGS world total.

Leading producers by rare earth mine output

China — 270,000 t REO

Approximate share of rounded world total: 69.2%

China remains the dominant mine supplier and still anchors the downstream chain in separation, refining, and magnet materials. The concentration problem is not only about mining volume. It is reinforced by processing capacity and export-control leverage.

United States — 51,000 t REO

Approximate share of rounded world total: 13.1%

The United States stands clearly in second place. That reinforces its importance in efforts to diversify mine supply away from China, even though downstream processing capacity remains a separate constraint.

Australia — 29,000 t REO

Approximate share of rounded world total: 7.4%

Australia is the third-largest producer in the latest benchmark and remains one of the most important non-Chinese sources in the global supply chain.

Burma (Myanmar) — 22,000 t REO

Approximate share of rounded world total: 5.6%

Burma remains strategically important because part of its output is linked to heavy rare earth supply, which matters disproportionately for high-performance magnet applications.

Thailand — 4,800 t REO

Approximate share of rounded world total: 1.2%

Thailand is a relatively small mining producer by tonnage, but it still matters in regional rare-earth flows and should not be judged by mine output alone.

Table 1. Top 10 producers by rare earth mine output

Rank	Country	Mine output, 2025e (t REO)	Share of world total
1	China	270,000	69.2%
2	United States	51,000	13.1%
3	Australia	29,000	7.4%
4	Burma (Myanmar)	22,000	5.6%
5	Thailand	4,800	1.2%
6	India	2,900	0.7%
7	Madagascar	2,700	0.7%
8	Russia	2,600	0.7%
9	Brazil	2,000	0.5%
10	Nigeria	1,500	0.4%

Shares are calculated against the USGS rounded world total of 390,000 t REO, so they remain approximate by design.

Chart 1. Top producers by mine output

Chart fallback: China remains overwhelmingly dominant in the latest USGS benchmark. The next four producers are the United States, Australia, Burma (Myanmar), and Thailand.

The chart uses the same 2025 estimated mine-output values as the table above.

Table 2. Full list of named producers in the USGS release

Rank	Country	Mine output, 2025e (t REO)	Share of world total
1	China	270,000	69.2%
2	United States	51,000	13.1%
3	Australia	29,000	7.4%
4	Burma (Myanmar)	22,000	5.6%
5	Thailand	4,800	1.2%
6	India	2,900	0.7%
7	Madagascar	2,700	0.7%
8	Russia	2,600	0.7%
9	Brazil	2,000	0.5%
10	Nigeria	1,500	0.4%
11	Other	550	0.1%
12	Vietnam	150	0.04%
13	Malaysia	110	0.03%

The table lists all named producers shown in the USGS release, including very small-volume entries.

Chart 2. Cumulative supply concentration

Chart fallback: the top 3 producers account for about 89.7% of the rounded world total, and the top 5 already reach roughly 96.6%.

Concentration remains extreme. The top 3 producers account for roughly 89.7% of the rounded world total, and the top 5 already reach about 96.6%. That leaves very little room for the rest of the market to offset a major supply disruption.

Methodology and interpretation

The analysis uses the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 rare-earth chapter, which reports 2025 estimated mine production. It is the current official annual benchmark for this comparison.

The unit is metric tons of rare-earth-oxide equivalent. It standardises mine output across deposits with different mineralogy, but it does not show the full strategic picture on its own. A ton of mostly light rare earths does not carry the same downstream importance as a smaller flow of heavy rare earths used in high-performance magnets.

For that reason, this ranking is best read as a mine-supply concentration view, not as a complete map of value-chain power. Refining, separation, alloying, magnet production, and export controls still matter just as much.

Key analytical takeaways

China still dominates mine supply

China alone accounts for about 69% of the rounded world total in the latest USGS benchmark. That is enough to keep the supply chain structurally exposed even before refining and magnet production are added to the picture.

The second tier remains narrow

The main non-Chinese mine suppliers are clearly the United States and Australia. Burma also remains important, especially because not all rare-earth tonnage carries the same strategic weight.

Concentration remains extreme

Using the updated numbers, the top 3 producers provide about 89.7% of world output and the top 5 about 96.6%. Even after the latest revisions, this remains one of the most concentrated supply profiles in critical minerals.

Small-volume producers can still matter strategically

Low tonnage does not automatically mean low importance. In rare earths, composition matters. Heavy rare earth exposure, permitting risk, processing routes, and downstream dependence can make a smaller producer strategically important.

FAQ

Why does the ranking use REO equivalent instead of raw ore?

REO equivalent makes country output more comparable because rare-earth deposits differ sharply in mineral composition and grade. It is the standard reporting basis used in the USGS summary table.

Why are the world shares marked as approximate?

The USGS world total is rounded, so country shares are also rounded approximations rather than exact decimal allocations.

Why does China’s mine share matter so much?

Because mine concentration is only one layer of dependence. China also plays a major role in separation, refining, and magnet materials, so upstream dominance feeds into downstream leverage.

Why keep the wording “estimated”?

Because USGS itself labels these annual mine figures as estimates. That is standard practice in annual mineral summaries and reflects the way country output is compiled.

Does mine output equal full supply-chain control?

No. Mine output shows the upstream concentration picture, but processing, separation, magnet materials, and trade restrictions can matter even more for real market power.

Why can a smaller producer still be strategically important?

Because composition matters. A smaller flow with stronger heavy rare earth exposure can be more strategically sensitive than a larger volume dominated by lighter elements.