In 2024, Australia was the world’s first-ranked producer of industrial garnet (estimated), accounting for 47% of global production; rutile (estimated), 43%; iron ore (Fe content), 38%; lithium (excluding the United States production), 37% (estimated); and zirconium mineral concentrates (estimated), 31%. The country was the second-ranked producer of bauxite (excluding the United States production), accounting for 23% of global production; alumina, 12%; and lead (estimated), 10%. The country was the third-ranked producer of gold, manganese (estimated), and zinc, each accounting for 9% of global production, and rare earths (estimated), 8%. The country was the fourth-ranked producer of ilmenite (estimated), accounting for 7% of global production, and cobalt (estimated), 2%. The country was the fifth-ranked producer of salt, accounting for 4% of global production, and the sixth-ranked producer of silicon metal (excluding the United States production), accounting for 0.9% (estimated). The country was the seventh-ranked producer of nickel, accounting for 3% of global production; aluminum, magnesium compounds (estimated), tantalum (estimated), 2% each; and antimony, 1%. The country was the eighth-ranked producer of silver and tin, each accounting for 4% of global production; and the ninth-ranked producer of mined copper and refined cadmium, each accounting for 3% of global production.
The gross value added of Australia’s mining and quarrying sector accounted for 11% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2024. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Australia is provided by a range of State and Territory mining laws. Each State and Territory oversees the mineral industry and provides its own legal framework. At the yearend of June 2025 (the latest year for which detailed data were available), 71% of the total number of mining businesses were solely Australian owned, 8.5% of mining businesses were less than 10% foreign owned, 5.2% of mining businesses were between 10% and 50% foreign owned, and 15.2% of mining businesses were greater than 50% foreign owned.
