Leading lithium producing countries worldwide 2021

In 2021, Australia was the world leader in terms of lithium mine production, with an estimated output of 55,000 metric tons. Chile and China ranked second and third, with lithium production totaling 26,000 and 14,000 metric tons, respectively.

Lithium giants

Home to the world’s largest hard rock lithium mine, Australia primarily extracts the alkali metal from spodumene, a lithium bearing mineral. Lithium output in Chile, on the other hand, is derived from brines which are pumped from below the earth’s surface into evaporation ponds in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Thanks to the lithium-rich brine deposits of the Atacama, Chile accounts for a significant portion of worldwide lithium reserves. While China is among the leading producers of lithium worldwide, it is also the leading consumer of the metal, as the Asian nation currently dominates production of lithium-ion batteries.

The global lithium rush

With a wide variety of applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to electronic components, lithium has become a critical resource. Today, the leading end-use of this metal is in lithium-ion batteries, which are found in portable electronics and electric vehicles. Global lithium mine production has increased significantly in the past decade, and demand is expected to continue growing in the coming years.