Countries by Phosphate Rock Mine Production, 2025
USGS data Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
Phosphate Rock Mine Production by Country: 2025 USGS Ranking
China produced an estimated 110 million metric tons of marketable phosphate rock in 2025 — 44% of the rounded world total of 250 Mt. Morocco (36 Mt), the United States (20 Mt), Russia (14 Mt) and Jordan (12 Mt) round out the top five. On 7 November 2025, the United States added phosphate rock to its Final List of Critical Minerals.
World production, 2025e
250 Mt
+4.6% vs 2024 (239 Mt)
Named producers
24 countries
Plus a 770 kt aggregate “Other” row
Top producer
China
110 Mt · 44.0% of world output
Largest reserves
Morocco
50 billion t · 68% of global reserves
Key takeaways
- China leads by a wide margin. Output of 110 Mt in 2025 is more than China’s next four named competitors combined (Morocco, U.S., Russia, Jordan total 82 Mt). USGS notes the Chinese figure covers large mines only, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics.
- Production is heavily concentrated. The top four producers — China, Morocco, the U.S., Russia — account for ~72% of the rounded world total of 250 Mt.
- Morocco’s strategic weight is in reserves, not flow. Annual production ranks second at 36 Mt, but the country holds 50 billion t of reserves — about 68% of the 73 billion t global total in USGS.
- U.S. production is constrained by ore quality. Florida mines face declining reserves and lower P₂O₅ content; apparent U.S. consumption fell ~7% in 2025 alongside a drop in phosphoric-acid output.
- Pipeline capacity is moving toward 2028. Phosphate rock capacity expansions are under way in Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco and Russia. Global capacity in P₂O₅ terms is projected to rise from 63.7 Mt in 2025 to 71.7 Mt by 2029.
- Phosphorus has no substitute in agriculture. P₂O₅ contained in fertilizers was 47.8 Mt in 2025 and is projected to reach 51.5 Mt by 2029, led by Asia and South America.
Top 10 phosphate rock producers, 2025
The top ten countries account for about 88% of global mine production (220.6 of 250 Mt). China alone is larger than the next four combined; Saudi Arabia closes the 10-Mt-plus tier, after which output drops below 6 Mt.
| Rank | Country | 2025 output | World share | vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 110.0 Mt | 44.0% | +4.8% |
| 2 | Morocco | 36.0 Mt | 14.4% | +2.0% |
| 3 | United States | 20.0 Mt | 8.0% | +3.1% |
| 4 | Russia | 14.0 Mt | 5.6% | −2.8% |
| 5 | Jordan | 12.0 Mt | 4.8% | +4.3% |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | 10.0 Mt | 4.0% | 0.0% |
| 7 | Egypt | 5.5 Mt | 2.2% | +3.8% |
| 8 | Brazil | 5.0 Mt | 2.0% | −5.7% |
| 9 | Peru | 4.8 Mt | 1.9% | 0.0% |
| 10 | Tunisia | 3.3 Mt | 1.3% | +0.6% |
How wide is the gap?
Plotting the same ten countries on a single horizontal scale makes the asymmetry unmistakable: China’s bar runs more than three times the length of Morocco’s, while the entire bottom half of the top 10 fits comfortably below Russia’s tonnage.
China 110.0 Mt · Morocco 36.0 · United States 20.0 · Russia 14.0 · Jordan 12.0 · Saudi Arabia 10.0 · Egypt 5.5 · Brazil 5.0 · Peru 4.8 · Tunisia 3.3.
Full named-country ranking, 2025
All 24 individually named countries from the USGS 2025 production table. Filter, sort and switch between absolute output and world share without leaving the page.
Showing Top 20 by 2025 production.
| Rank | Country | Region | 2025 outputWorld share | vs 2024 | Reserves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | Asia | 110,000 kt44.00% | +4.8% | 3.4 Bt |
| 2 | Morocco | Africa | 36,000 kt14.40% | +2.0% | 50.0 Bt |
| 3 | United States | Americas | 20,000 kt8.00% | +3.1% | 1.0 Bt |
| 4 | Russia | Europe | 14,000 kt5.60% | −2.8% | 2.4 Bt |
| 5 | Jordan | Asia | 12,000 kt4.80% | +4.3% | 820 Mt |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | Asia | 10,000 kt4.00% | 0.0% | 1.0 Bt |
| 7 | Egypt | Africa | 5,500 kt2.20% | +3.8% | 2.8 Bt |
| 8 | Brazil | Americas | 5,000 kt2.00% | −5.7% | 1.6 Bt |
| 9 | Peru | Americas | 4,800 kt1.92% | 0.0% | 210 Mt |
| 10 | Tunisia | Africa | 3,300 kt1.32% | +0.6% | 2.5 Bt |
| 11 | Vietnam | Asia | 3,000 kt1.20% | 0.0% | 30 Mt |
| 12 | Senegal | Africa | 2,800 kt1.12% | 0.0% | 50 Mt |
| 13 | Australia | Oceania | 2,500 kt1.00% | 0.0% | 800 Mt* |
| 14 | Israel | Asia | 2,400 kt0.96% | +0.8% | 60 Mt |
| 15 | South Africa | Africa | 2,200 kt0.88% | −0.9% | 1.5 Bt |
| 16 | Algeria | Africa | 2,000 kt0.80% | 0.0% | 2.2 Bt |
| 17 | Kazakhstan | Asia | 1,900 kt0.76% | +11.8% | 260 Mt |
| 18 | Togo | Africa | 1,600 kt0.64% | +2.6% | 30 Mt |
| 19 | India | Asia | 1,500 kt0.60% | −11.8% | 31 Mt |
| 20 | Turkey | Europe | 1,200 kt0.48% | −1.6% | 71 Mt |
| 21 | Finland | Europe | 980 kt0.39% | +0.6% | 1.0 Bt |
| 22 | Uzbekistan | Asia | 950 kt0.38% | 0.0% | 100 Mt |
| 23 | Syria | Asia | 800 kt0.32% | 0.0% | 250 Mt |
| 24 | Mexico | Americas | 450 kt0.18% | +23.3% | 30 Mt |
Output in thousand metric tons (kt) of marketable phosphate rock; reserves in metric tons (Mt = million; Bt = billion). USGS also reports an aggregate “Other countries” line of 770 kt in 2025, excluded from the ranking because it is not country-level. Shares calculated against the rounded USGS world total of 250,000 kt. *Australia’s JORC-compliant reserves are 120 Mt; the 800 Mt figure follows USGS reserve definitions.
Industry context: what is moving the ranking
China at scale
China’s 110 Mt figure covers large mines only, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics of China; smaller mines are not captured. Domestic fertilizer policy and ore-grade trends in Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei and Sichuan therefore set the global market’s baseline.
Morocco’s reserve premium
With 50 billion t of reserves — by an order of magnitude the largest sedimentary phosphorite endowment — Morocco’s OCP holds the longest reserve life among major producers. Output (36 Mt) ranks second but has been revised up by USGS for 2024 based on company reporting.
U.S. ore-quality squeeze
Five companies operate 10 mines across Florida, Idaho, North Carolina and Utah. Florida reserves are declining and P₂O₅ grade is falling, which has lifted import dependence — Peru supplied >99% of U.S. phosphate rock imports in 2021–24. A new BLM-approved mine in Caribou County, ID will replace a depleting operation within the next decade.
Critical-mineral status
On 7 November 2025, the U.S. Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals (90 FR 50494) added phosphate rock, alongside boron, metallurgical coal and uranium. The listing acknowledges supply-chain exposure for a fertilizer input with no chemical substitute.
Capacity pipeline to 2028
Rock-mining expansions are under way in Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco and Russia. Kazakhstan (+11.8% YoY) and Mexico (+23.3% YoY) already show movement on small bases. Global P₂O₅ capacity is projected to rise from 63.7 Mt in 2025 to 71.7 Mt by 2029.
Demand pull from Asia and South America
Fertilizer P₂O₅ consumption was 47.8 Mt in 2025 and is projected to reach 51.5 Mt by 2029. The fastest growth is expected in Asia and South America — a structural fit with new mining projects planned in Canada, Congo (Brazzaville), Guinea-Bissau and Senegal after 2028.
Methodology
- Indicator
- Mine production of marketable phosphate rock — beneficiated rock with P₂O₅ content suitable for phosphoric-acid or elemental-phosphorus production. Not equivalent to raw ore tonnage.
- Source and vintage
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (Phosphate Rock chapter, February 2026). 2025 values are USGS estimates (
e); 2024 values for Morocco, Syria and Turkey were revised in this release. - Unit
- Thousand metric tons (kt) of marketable phosphate rock. Larger values converted to million metric tons (Mt) in narrative.
- Ranking rule
- Sorted by 2025 estimated production, descending. The USGS aggregate “Other countries” row (770 kt in 2025) is excluded from rank positions.
- Shares
- Country output divided by the rounded USGS world total of 250,000 kt. Source rounding means shares are approximate and do not necessarily sum to 100%.
- YoY change
- Computed from the USGS 2024 and 2025 columns for each country. Differences vs published growth rates can arise from USGS rounding.
Frequently asked questions
Which country produces the most phosphate rock in 2025?
China, with an estimated 110 million metric tons of marketable phosphate rock in 2025 — 44.0% of the rounded USGS world total of 250 Mt. Morocco is second (36 Mt), followed by the United States (20 Mt), Russia (14 Mt) and Jordan (12 Mt).
How much phosphate rock does the world produce per year?
USGS estimates world mine production at 250 million metric tons in 2025, up from 239 Mt in 2024 — a year-on-year increase of about 4.6%.
Which country has the largest phosphate rock reserves?
Morocco, with 50 billion metric tons — roughly 68% of the 73 billion t world total reported by USGS. The bulk lies in the Khouribga, Gantour, Meskala and Boucraâ basins, operated by OCP Group.
What is the difference between phosphate rock production and fertilizer production?
Phosphate rock is the mined upstream input. It is converted via wet-process phosphoric acid into finished fertilizers such as DAP and MAP, plus animal-feed phosphates and industrial phosphorus compounds. World fertilizer demand is measured in P₂O₅ content — 47.8 Mt in 2025 — not in rock tonnage.
Is phosphate rock a critical mineral in the United States?
Yes. On 7 November 2025 the U.S. Department of the Interior published its Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals (90 FR 50494), which added phosphate rock, boron, metallurgical coal and uranium to the existing list.
Is there a substitute for phosphorus in agriculture?
No. USGS states explicitly that there are no substitutes for phosphorus in agriculture, which is why mine-side concentration and reserve geography draw policy attention.
Why are only 24 countries ranked?
USGS publishes individual production estimates for 24 producing countries and groups the remainder into a single 770-kt “Other countries” row. The aggregate row is not country-level, so it is excluded from ranks.
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Phosphate Rock (PDF, February 2026). pubs.usgs.gov · primary source for 2024–2025 production, reserves, world total, capacity outlook and Florida ore-quality notes.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (report landing page). usgs.gov.
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Minerals Information Center. Phosphate Rock Statistics and Information. usgs.gov.
- U.S. Department of the Interior. Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, 90 FR 50494, 7 November 2025. federalregister.gov.
