Year-over-year change: +1.8%, trend up
5-year change: +134.7%, trend up
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cobalt mine production: 230,000 metric tons
View MoreWorld Total305,500metric tons
19942025
2025
Rankings at a glance
Highest 10 · Cobalt mine production (2025)
Among the 12 countries with 2025 data, DR Congo has the highest cobalt mine production at 230,000 metric tons in 2025, followed by Indonesia (44,000 metric tons) and Russia (7,700 metric tons). The top 5 is rounded off by Madagascar (3,900 metric tons) and Australia (3,700 metric tons). Further down, the Philippines (3,700 metric tons) and Canada (3,500 metric tons) hold the next two spots. Papua New Guinea (2,800 metric tons), China (2,000 metric tons), and Cuba (2,000 metric tons) round out the top ten. Across the top ten, DR Congo is 115× as high as Cuba (2,000 metric tons). Three of the top ten are in Asia. Among these countries, Cuba saw the largest year-over-year change at -42.0%.
Rank changes
How cobalt mine production changed between 2020 and 2025
2020and2025
Historical trends
Key terms
- Proved reserves
- — Quantities of crude oil or natural gas that geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty are recoverable under existing economic and operating conditions.
- Recoverable reserves
- — Coal that can be technically and economically extracted with current mining methods at current prices. Excludes inaccessible deposits.
- Billion barrels (B bbl)
- — Unit for oil reserves. One barrel equals 42 US gallons or about 159 litres.
- Trillion cubic feet (TCF)
- — Unit for natural gas reserves. One TCF is roughly 28.3 billion cubic metres.
- Million short tons (M ST)
- — Unit for coal reserves. One short ton equals 2,000 lb or 907 kg.
Frequently asked questions
- Which country has the highest cobalt mine production?
- DR Congo has the highest cobalt mine production among the 12 countries with 2025 data at 230,000 metric tons as of 2025, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
- Which country has the lowest cobalt mine production?
- The United States has the lowest cobalt mine production among the 12 countries with 2025 data at 300 metric tons as of 2025, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
- What is the total cobalt mine production worldwide?
- The combined cobalt mine production across 12 countries totals 305,500 metric tons as of 2025, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
