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Cobalt reserves (2025)

12/237 countries
World Total10,745,000metric tons
2025
2025
2025

Rankings at a glance

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Highest 10 · Cobalt reserves (2025)

Among the 12 countries with 2025 data, DR Congo has the highest cobalt reserves at 6M metric tons in 2025, followed by Australia (1.7M metric tons) and Russia (800,000 metric tons). Indonesia (760,000 metric tons) and Cuba (500,000 metric tons) close out the top 5. Next up, the Philippines (260,000 metric tons) and Canada (220,000 metric tons). China (160,000 metric tons), Madagascar (100,000 metric tons), and Türkiye (91,000 metric tons) round out the top ten. The gap across the top ten is wide: DR Congo has 66× the value of Türkiye (91,000 metric tons). Four of the top ten are in Asia.

Rank changes

How cobalt reserves changed between two years

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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 reserves?
DR Congo has the highest cobalt reserves among the 12 countries with 2025 data at 6,000,000 metric tons as of 2025, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Which country has the lowest cobalt reserves?
The United States has the lowest cobalt reserves among the 12 countries with 2025 data at 70,000 metric tons as of 2025, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
What is the total cobalt reserves worldwide?
The combined cobalt reserves across 12 countries total 10,745,000 metric tons as of 2025, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

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