Gold Production Top 15

John Spacey, July 25, 2020

Gold production is the mining and refining of gold from deposits in the Earth. Due to the relatively high value of gold, this is often a technologically advanced process that makes use of chemicals. For example, gold cyanidation is a common hydrometallurgical technique for extracting gold from low-grade ore using aqueous solutions of cyanide. This has resulted in several environmental disasters such as the 2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill in Romania. The following are production levels of gold by country.

Rank	Country	Mine Production (metric tons)
1	China	420
2	Australia	330
3	Russia	310
4	United States	200
5	Canada	180
6	Indonesia	160
7	Peru	130
8	Ghana	130
9	Mexico	110
10	Uzbekistan	100
11	Kazakhstan	100
12	South Africa	90
13	Brazil	85
14	Argentina	72
15	Papua New Guinea	70
N/A	Other Countries	800
N/A	World Total	3,300

Reserves

Reserves are estimates of economically extractable gold given current known deposits and mining technologies. These change with time as gold is extracted and new deposits are found. The following are current estimates of gold reserves for major gold producing nations.

Country	Mine Production (metric tons)	Reserves (metric tons)
Australia	330	10,000
Russia	310	5,300
South Africa	90	3,200
United States	200	3,000
Indonesia	160	2,600
Brazil	85	2,400
Peru	130	2,100
China	420	2,000
Canada	180	1,900
Uzbekistan	100	1,800
Argentina	72	1,600
Mexico	110	1,400
Ghana	130	1,000
Kazakhstan	100	1,000
Papua New Guinea	70	1,000
Other Countries	800	10,000
World Total	3,300	50,000

Notes

All data is 2019.

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References

United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2020

Hilson, Gavin, and A. J. Monhemius. "Alternatives to cyanide in the gold mining industry: what prospects for the future?." Journal of Cleaner production 14.12-13 (2006): 1158-1167.

Hudson, Chris. "The role of international environmental law in the protection of the Danube river basin: the Baia Mare cyanide spill." Colo. J. Int'l Envtl. L. & Pol'y 12 (2001): 367.