“Uncovering the Biggest Cobalt Contributors: The Top 10 Producers by Country

The cobalt industry is an important one, as cobalt is a key mineral used in a variety of everyday items. From the batteries that power our electronic devices to the compounds used to create alloys and pigments, cobalt has many important uses. The production of cobalt doesn’t just depend on the available resources in the earth, it also relies on the international producers of the element. Here is a list of the top 10 cobalt producers in the world, ranked by country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the top cobalt producer in the world, with a production of 98,000 metric tons in 2019. This figure accounts for roughly 60% of global production. Many of the world’s cobalt miners are based in the DRC and much of the cobalt mined there is extracted from copper ore by artisanal miners. China comes in second with a production of 27,000 metric tons, followed by Russia, Canada, Zambia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Morocco, and the United States. China is the leading consumer of cobalt but produces significantly less than the DR Congo. Most of the cobalt produced in China is a byproduct of copper and nickel mining. Meanwhile, Russia produces the vast majority of its cobalt as a byproduct of nickel mining. In addition, Russian cobalt deposits are some of the largest in the world. Canada is the third-largest cobalt producer in the world and most of the production is a byproduct of nickel mining. As the world’s fourth-largest producer, Zambia produces cobalt mainly as a byproduct of copper mining. Australia produces cobalt from its main copper mines in Queensland and New South Wales. Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Morocco, and the United States produce cobalt as a byproduct of gold, silver, copper, and nickel mining. With a production speed of 8,800 metric tons in 2018, the United States produces a small amount of cobalt compared to the other countries on this list. The cobalt industry is a significant one for the global community and the demand is only increasing. As a result, the importance of these top 10 cobalt producers is likely to continue growing.