Cobalt production — all countries

Cobalt production — G20

Cobalt production in the G20 in 2024 — 19,106 t. Since 1995, the indicator has risen by 74.8%.

2024 19,106 t −5.73% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 23,774 t2020
Period minimum 10,496 t1996

Trend over time

1995–2024 · tonnes

Cobalt production — G20, 1995–202410,00015,00020,00025,000199519982001200420072010201320162019202220241995: 10,931 t1996: 10,496 t1997: 10,893 t1998: 11,205 t1999: 10,933 t2000: 13,566 t2001: 14,948 t2002: 16,122 t2003: 16,727 t2004: 17,480 t2005: 18,897 t2006: 20,905 t2007: 22,172 t2008: 22,373 t2009: 17,099 t2010: 17,986 t2011: 19,886 t2012: 20,578 t2013: 22,305 t2014: 22,208 t2015: 22,069 t2016: 19,786 t2017: 20,204 t2018: 18,824 t2019: 19,936 t2020: 23,774 t2021: 21,053 t2022: 20,800 t2023: 20,268 t2024: 19,106 t
Change over the period: +8,175 (+74.79%) Average annual rate: 1.94 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: G20

G20 19,106 t
World 270,816 t
Cobalt production — G20, by year G20 All countries CSV XLSX
Year t Change Change, %
2024 19,106 −1,162 −5.73%
2023 20,268 −532 −2.56%
2022 20,800 −253 −1.2%
2021 21,053 −2,721 −11.45%
2020 23,774 +3,838 +19.25%
2019 19,936 +1,112 +5.91%
2018 18,824 −1,380 −6.83%
2017 20,204 +418 +2.11%
2016 19,786 −2,283 −10.34%
2015 22,069 −139 −0.63%
2014 22,208 −97 −0.43%
2013 22,305 +1,727 +8.39%
2012 20,578 +692 +3.48%
2011 19,886 +1,900 +10.56%
2010 17,986 +887 +5.19%
2009 17,099 −5,274 −23.57%
2008 22,373 +201 +0.91%
2007 22,172 +1,267 +6.06%
2006 20,905 +2,008 +10.63%
2005 18,897 +1,417 +8.11%
2004 17,480 +753 +4.5%
2003 16,727 +605 +3.75%
2002 16,122 +1,174 +7.85%
2001 14,948 +1,381 +10.18%
2000 13,566 +2,633 +24.08%
1999 10,933 −272 −2.42%
1998 11,205 +312 +2.86%
1997 10,893 +397 +3.78%
1996 10,496 −435 −3.98%
1995 10,931

About the indicator

Cobalt production measured as contained metal, from U.S. Geological Survey data. Cobalt is needed for the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries, and its production is concentrated more tightly than that of any other important metal: more than two-thirds of the world total comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is because of that concentration that battery makers have spent recent years looking for chemistries with a smaller share of cobalt, or none at all.

Important: Cobalt is almost always mined as a by-product — together with copper or nickel — so its volume depends on the market for the main metal and not only on demand for cobalt itself.

Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries (USGS), license Public domain (work of a U.S. federal agency).