The above infographic visualizes all 2.8 billion tonnes of metals mined in 2022 and highlights each metal’s largest end-use using data from the United States Geological Survey USGS.
Iron ore dominates the metals mining landscape, comprising 93% of the total mined.
Industrial metals rank second, accounting for 6.6% of the amount. These include copper, aluminum, lead, zinc and others.
Aluminum accounted for nearly 40% of industrial metal production in 2022.
China contributed for 56% of all aluminum produced.
Technology metals, which have been in the spotlight over the past few years, represent less than 1% of all metal mined.
They include lithium and cobalt, used in electric vehicles and battery storage, and rare earths, used in magnets, metal alloys, and electronics.