Among the top rare earth producing countries, China stands far apart from the rest. Its lead is wider still in the plants that separate rare earths and make magnets. The dated table below gives each country's tonnage, reserves and share of world output, from U.S. Geological Survey data.
Table of Contents
Which countries produce the most rare earths?
Behind China comes a long tail of smaller producers, ranked in the table. For several of them, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates output from China's reported imports. USGS reports output in tons of rare-earth oxide equivalent. That unit compares countries by tonnage, not by element mix or value.
| Rank (2025) | Country | Mine production 2024 (t REO) | Mine production 2025, est. (t REO) | Share of world output, 2025 | Reserves (t REO) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 270,000 | 270,000 | 69.2% | 44,000,000 |
| 2 | United States | 45,500 | 51,000 | 13.1% | 1,900,000 |
| 3 | Australia | 29,000 | 29,000 | 7.4% | 6,300,000 |
| 4 | Burma (Myanmar)* | 27,000 | 22,000 | 5.6% | NA |
| 5 | Thailand* | 2,100 | 4,800 | 1.2% | NA |
| 6 | India | 2,900 | 2,900 | 0.7% | NA |
| 7 | Madagascar* | 1,400 | 2,700 | 0.7% | NA |
| 8 | Russia | 2,600 | 2,600 | 0.7% | 3,800,000 |
| 9 | Brazil | 560 | 2,000 | 0.5% | 11,000,000 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 1,500 | 1,500 | 0.4% | NA |
| 11 | Vietnam* | 300 | 150 | <0.1% | 3,500,000 |
| 12 | Malaysia* | 140 | 110 | <0.1% | 710,000 |
| Other countries | 1,000 | 550 | 0.1% | NA | |
| Greenland | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 1,500,000 | |
| Tanzania | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 890,000 | |
| South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 860,000 | |
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 830,000 | |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 380,000 | 390,000 | 100% | >75,000,000 |
Why does China lead rare earth production?
Geology gave China a head start and policy kept it there. Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia is one of the largest rare earth deposits ever mined. The ion-adsorption clays of southern China are a major source of the heavy rare earths, such as dysprosium and terbium, that high-temperature magnets need. On top of that geology, China built the separation plants, metal-making and magnet factories that turn ore into finished products. A country that controls every step sets its own terms on price and exports.
China has also shown it will use that position. USGS records that China tightened its export controls. It added specific controls on the oxides, metals, alloys and compounds of several rare earth elements. It has also begun issuing general export licenses to selected exporters. See our China coverage for the latest moves.
Why does mine output understate China's position?
A mine produces a concentrate, a mixed material that still holds all the rare earths together. For magnets, it has to be cracked, separated into individual oxides, reduced to metal and then made into alloys or magnets. Much of the concentrate mined elsewhere, in Burma for example, still travels to China for separation. Australian concentrate is largely separated at a plant in Malaysia, so mine output and separation capacity often sit in different countries. USGS notes that U.S. imports of compounds and metals from Estonia, Japan and Malaysia were made from concentrates and intermediates produced in Australia, China and elsewhere.
That is why new separation and magnet plants outside China do more for supply security than new mines alone.
What is the difference between production and reserves?
Production is what was actually mined in a year. Reserves are the part of a known deposit that can be mined at a profit under current conditions. Each country's government, or a company under a reporting code, makes that estimate. The two numbers often point in different directions. Several countries in the table report large reserves and no output at all, because a deposit on paper still needs a permit, financing, a working flowsheet and a buyer. Reserve figures can also change sharply when a government revises its method, with no new discovery behind them.
How quickly does the ranking change?
The leaders rarely change places. Taking a deposit from discovery to steady production takes many years of drilling, permits, testing and financing. Small producers often stop and restart, so their numbers swing from year to year. USGS also revises past years as better data arrive, sometimes by a lot.
What environmental problems come with rare earth mining?
Rare earth ores often contain thorium and uranium, so processing creates low-level radioactive waste that has to be managed for a long time. Separation uses large volumes of acids and solvents, and in-situ leaching of clay deposits can contaminate soil and groundwater when it is poorly controlled. These costs pushed production toward places with looser rules, and they make new projects elsewhere slow to permit. Recycling and cleaner separation methods can reduce the burden but do not remove the need for mining. Our Rare Earths 101 guide covers the basics.
Frequently asked questions
What are rare earth elements, and why are they important?
Rare earth elements are 17 chemically similar metals, the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. They are essential to the permanent magnets in electric motors and wind turbines, to refining catalysts, lasers and phosphors, and to many defense systems. They are spread widely through the earth's crust, and deposits rich enough to mine are uncommon.
Which country produces the most rare earth elements?
China, by a wide margin. Its share of world mine output is shown in the table above. Its lead is larger still in separation, metal-making and magnet production, because much of the concentrate mined in other countries is shipped to China to be processed.
How does rare earth production affect the environment?
Mining and processing can leave radioactive residues from thorium and uranium in the ore, along with acid and solvent waste. Poorly controlled leaching can contaminate soil and groundwater. Stronger regulation, cleaner separation methods and recycling can reduce the damage, though none of them removes it.
Are there substitutes for rare earth elements?
For many uses, yes, but USGS describes substitutes as generally less effective. Magnet makers are working to cut heavy rare earth content, and some motor designs avoid rare earth magnets entirely at a cost in size or efficiency. Interest in substitutes tends to rise when prices spike.
How do geopolitical tensions affect rare earth supply?
So much production and processing sits in one country that export licensing and trade disputes can cut off supply of specific elements quickly. Prices outside China can then move apart from prices inside it. That risk is why governments outside China fund new mines, separation plants and magnet factories.
