A handful of countries hold the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals that are essential to modern industries, giving them a significant advantage in global supply chains and strategic influence.
According to recent global mineral reserve data, Australia leads the world with the largest reserves of five major resources—gold, uranium, iron ore, zinc, and manganese—making it one of the most resource-rich nations globally. The country alone accounts for 31% of global iron ore reserves and 28% of uranium reserves, reinforcing its importance in both the mining and energy sectors.
Other countries also dominate key minerals. Peru has the largest silver reserves, Chile leads in copper and lithium, Russia tops diamond reserves, while the United States has the largest coal reserves.
Guinea holds the world’s largest bauxite reserves, China leads in both rare earth elements and graphite, Indonesia dominates nickel reserves, and the Democratic Republic of Congo possesses half of the world’s cobalt reserves.
Meanwhile, Morocco controls about 69% of global phosphate reserves, while South Africa accounts for an overwhelming 83% of platinum-group metal reserves, making both countries indispensable suppliers of these strategic resources.
The concentration of these minerals in a small number of countries highlights the growing importance of resource security as demand increases for electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, semiconductors, and advanced defense systems. Experts say such concentration could create supply chain risks and increase geopolitical competition over access to critical minerals.
