Natural Resources
Three Countries Account for Almost 90% of the Lithium Used in EVs.
![Three Countries Account for Almost 90% of the Lithium Used in EVs.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.voronoiapp.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fvoronoi-Three-Countries-Account-for-Almost-90-of-the-Lithium-Used-in-EVs-20240430134113.webp&w=3840&q=75)
What we’re showing?
Estimated lithium production by country in 2023.
Key takeaways
- Three countries—Australia, Chile, and China—accounted for 88% of lithium mine production in 2023.
- Australia, the world’s leading producer, extracts lithium directly from hard rock mines, specifically the mineral spodumene.
- Chile, along with Argentina, China, and other top producers, extracts lithium from brine.
- The oversupply of the metal used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries has caused prices to collapse by more than 80% from a late-2022 record high.
Dataset
Country | Mine production 2023 E (tons) |
---|---|
Australia | 86,000 |
Chile | 44,000 |
China | 33,000 |
Argentina | 9,600 |
Brazil | 4,900 |
Canada | 3,400 |
Zimbabwe | 3,400 |
Portugal | 380 |
World Total | 184,680 |
380 | |
380 |
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