The U.S. Geological Survey publishes the standard public estimates of lithium mine production and reserves by country. All figures below are tonnes of lithium content (multiply by 5.32 for lithium carbonate equivalent) from the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, published February 2026.
Lithium mine production and reserves by country
| Country | 2024 production (t Li) | 2025e production (t Li) | 2025 share* | Reserves (Li) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 82,700 | 92,000 | 32% | 8.4 Mt |
| China | 41,400 | 62,000 | 21% | 4.6 Mt |
| Chile | 48,900 | 56,000 | 19% | 9.2 Mt |
| Zimbabwe | 20,000 | 28,000 | 10% | 0.5 Mt |
| Argentina | 13,800 | 23,000 | 8% | 4.4 Mt |
| Brazil | 10,200 | 12,000 | 4% | 0.54 Mt |
| Mali | 770 | 9,400 | 3% | 0.37 Mt |
| Canada | 4,820 | 5,600 | 2% | 1.6 Mt |
| Portugal | 380 | 380 | <1% | 0.06 Mt |
| United States | withheld | withheld | — | 4.4 Mt |
| World (excl. US) | 222,000 | 290,000 | 100% | 37 Mt (incl. others) |
*Share of the world total excluding the United States, whose output (one brine operation in Nevada) is withheld by USGS to protect company data. 2025 values are estimates. USGS notes significant revisions to 2024 figures for Argentina and Mali. Namibia was temporarily removed from the production table because of legal uncertainties.
Key takeaways
- Production grew 31% in 2025, from 222,000 t to about 290,000 t, while USGS-estimated consumption rose 20% to 263,000 t.
- Australia remains the largest producer through spodumene mines, but its share has fallen as China, Zimbabwe, Argentina and Mali have grown.
- Africa is rising: Zimbabwe reached about 28,000 t and Mali went from 770 t to 9,400 t after two operations started in 2024.
- Reserves are concentrated in Chile and Australia; Argentina, Bolivia and Chile (the “lithium triangle”) hold much of the world’s identified brine resources.
Lithium resources
Identified measured and indicated resources total about 150 million t worldwide, led by Argentina (28 Mt), Bolivia (23 Mt), the United States (30 Mt), Chile (13 Mt), Australia (10 Mt), China (10 Mt), Germany (8.9 Mt) and Canada (8.1 Mt). Resources are much larger than reserves because they include deposits not yet shown to be economic.
Where the operations are
USGS counts four brine operations in Argentina, seven mineral operations in Australia, one in Brazil, two in Canada, two brine operations in Chile, nine mineral and six brine operations in China, two in Mali and five in Zimbabwe as the bulk of 2025 supply. Company detail: lithium producers.
Frequently asked questions
Which country produces the most lithium?
Australia. The USGS estimates Australian mine production at about 92,000 tonnes of lithium content in 2025, roughly a third of the world total (excluding the United States), followed by China (62,000 t), Chile (56,000 t), Zimbabwe (28,000 t) and Argentina (23,000 t).
Which country has the largest lithium reserves?
Chile, with about 9.2 million tonnes of lithium reserves according to the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, followed by Australia (8.4 million t), China (4.6 million t), Argentina and the United States (about 4.4 million t each). Bolivia has large resources (23 million t) but no reported reserves.
How much lithium is produced in the world each year?
About 290,000 tonnes of lithium content in 2025 excluding the United States, up 31% from 222,000 tonnes in 2024, according to the USGS. That is roughly 1.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent.
Sources
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Lithium (February 2026)