Mapped: LARGEST COBALT producing COUNTRIES!

Cobalt is a shiny silvery metal when refined. xDue to its use in lithium-ion batteries Cobalt has become a hot commodity in recent years. With the drive for electrification of transport and grid level storage for solar and wind energy more battery capacity will be needed in future and hence Cobalt demand will only go up. Already, the world has seen Cobalt mining grow from 165 thousand metric tons in 2021 to 190 thousand metric tons in 2022 a 20 plus % jump within a year.
Cobalt mining specifically in Congo is also very controversial because of the use of forced and child labor, very low to no wages, and no protection for the workers from the hazards of cobalt mining.
Here is a look at the top 10 Cobalt producing countries in the world to see if some them can be an alternative to Congo and provide ethically mined cobalt in the years to come.
Number 10: China
China produced about 2200 metric tons of cobalt in 2022 representing about 1.2% of global production. China also happens to have the largest cobalt refining capacity in the world. It also is the largest consumer of the metal and largest exporter of refined cobalt in the world. China also has proved cobalt reserves of 140 thousand metric tons.
Number 9: Morocco
In 2022 Morocco produced about 2300 metric tons of cobalt representing about 1.3% of global production. Morocco only has about 13 thousand metric tons of proven cobalt reserves.
Number 8: Madagascar
The African island nation’s total cobalt production stood at 3000 metric tons or about 1.6% of global output. It has 100 thousand metric tons of proven reserves as of 2023.
Number 7: Papua New Guinea
The southeast Asian nation produced 3000 metric tons in 2022 representing 1.6% of global production. Papua New Guinea has 47 thousand metric tons of proven cobalt reserves.
Number 6: Cuba
Cuba produced 3800 metric tons or 2% of global output in 2022. Cuba has a handsome 500 thousand metric tons of proven cobalt reserves.
Number 5: Philippines
Philippines produced 2% of global output or 3800 metric tons in 2022. Philippines has 240 thousand metric tons of proven cobalt reserves.
Number 4: Canada
The North American mining giant nation produced 3900 metric tons or 2.1% of global output in 2022. Canada however has only 240 thousand metric tons of proven cobalt reserves.
Number 3: Australia
Australia which is blessed with abundant of natural resource wealth produced 5900 metric tons or 3.1% of global production. Australis has a huge 1.5 million tons of proven cobalt reserves. With its advanced mining industry and large reserves Australia will become an important player in cobalt supply chain in years to come.
Number 2: Russia
The mighty Russian federation produced 8900 metric tons or 4.7% of global output in 2022. Russia has about 250 thousand metric tons of proven cobalt reserves. Before the Russia- Ukraine war Russia was pitched as an alternative to Congo as a reliable source of Cobalt. However due to the war in Ukraine this switch from DRC to Russia will not materialize in the immediate future.
Number 1: Democratic Republic of Congo
This African mining giant produced 130,000 metric tons or 68% of global output. It also has the highest reserves at about 4 million metric tons. World is still heavily reliant on the cobalt mined in DRC. The malpractices in mining in DRC continued in 2022. However DRC is expected to remain crucial to the cobalt supply chain for the foreseeable future.
World:
The world has mined 190 thousand metric tons of cobalt in 2022. Thank you for watching and please do consider subscribing.