Aluminum Statistics and Information

Overview

Aluminum is the second most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust after silicon, yet it remains a relatively new industrial metal with just over a century of commercial production. In that time, aluminum has become vital to virtually every segment of the global economy. Its widespread use is driven by a unique combination of physical properties: it weighs only one-third as much as steel or copper, is highly malleable and ductile, easily machined or cast, and possesses exceptional natural resistance to corrosion. Today, measured by both volume and value, its global use is surpassed only by iron.

First designated a critical mineral commodity by the USGS in 2018, aluminum is instrumental across several major industries. In transportation, it is used to reduce weight in electric vehicles, aircraft, trains, and marine vessels to maximize fuel and battery efficiency. In architecture and construction, aluminum is used in high-rise framing, facades, windows, roofing, doors, and siding. It also remains indispensable for electrical transmission grids, heavy machinery, consumer electronics, and packaging.

Secondary aluminum production is a key sector of the modern aluminum industry. Although aluminum recycling has been practiced since the early twentieth century, it was the widespread recycling of beverage cans in the late 1960s that first pushed recycling into the public consciousness. Today, reclaiming aluminum from consumer cans, end-of-life automobiles, building demolitions, and retired appliances is a highly sophisticated process. Because aluminum can be recycled repeatedly without losing its physical properties, both energy use and carbon emissions are significantly reduced compared to primary production. Ultimately, recycling and secondary production remain critical components of the domestic aluminum supply.