Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was the world’s 11th-ranked producer of graphite (natural)

Pictured: graphite

Statistics and information on the mining industry in Sri Lanka.

Overview

In 2024, Sri Lanka was the world’s 11th-ranked producer of graphite (natural), accounting for 0.19% of the world’s production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included secondary aluminum, cement, clays, dolomite, feldspar, gemstones, iron and steel, secondary lead, phosphate rock, stone, titanium, and zircon. The mining and quarrying sector contributed 1.5% to Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product. Sri Lanka primarily exported graphite to Japan as well as Germany and the United States.

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Sri Lanka is provided by the Mines and Minerals Act (No. 66 of 2009), which amended No. 33 of 1992. The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau under the Ministry of Environment operates to identify the country’s mineral occurrences and potential for development; while the National Gem and Jewellery Authority under the Ministry of Industries manages the development, regulation, and promotion of the country’s gem and jewelry industry. The Government, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, was involved in mineral commodity sectors such as gemstones, graphite, titanium, and zircon. However, a mixture of domestic and foreign private companies comprised the bulk of the mineral commodity sector in Sri Lanka. The country’s graphite deposits were primarily composed of vein graphite, which can be shipped directly from mines without primary beneficiation, and had an average carbon content of 95.5%.

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

In 2024, Sri Lanka was the world’s 11th-ranked producer in graphite (natural) production, accounting for 0.19% of the world’s production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included secondary aluminum, cement, clays, dolomite, feldspar, gemstones, iron and steel, secondary lead, phosphate rock, stone, titanium, and zircon. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). The mining and quarrying sector contributed 1.5% to Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product. Sri Lanka primarily exported graphite to Japan as well as Germany and the United States (Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2025; Stewart, 2026; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026).

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Sri Lanka is provided by the Mines and Minerals Act (No. 66 of 2009), which amended No. 33 of 1992. The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau under the Ministry of Environment operates to identify the country’s mineral occurrences and potential for development; while the National Gem and Jewellery Authority under the Ministry of Industries manages the development, regulation, and promotion of the country’s gem and jewelry industry. The Government, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, was involved in mineral commodity sectors such as gemstones, graphite, titanium, and zircon. However, a mixture of domestic and foreign private companies comprised the bulk of the mineral commodity sector in Sri Lanka. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities (Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 2009, p. 1; Geological Survey and Mines Bureau of Sri Lanka, 2022; National Gem and Jewellery Authority, 2026). More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Asia and the Pacific, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/asia-…;

Commodity Review

In 2024, Sri Lanka produced 3,122 metric tons of natural graphite. Major export partners included Japan, which received 45% of total exports of graphite, Germany and the United States (13% each), and the United Kingdom (12%). Graphite reserves in the country accounted for 0.48% of the global total. The country’s graphite deposits were primarily composed of vein graphite, which can be shipped directly from mines without primary beneficiation. Sri Lanka’s vein graphite had an average carbon content of 95.5% (Production table; Applied Graphite Technologies, 2024, p. 5, 7; Stewart, 2026; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026).

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

Table includes data available through January 27, 2026. All data are reported unless otherwise noted. Estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits. In addition to the commodities listed, ball clay, crude construction materials (such as calcite, clay for brick and tile, dolomite, sand and gravel), secondary aluminum, sulfur, and varieties of stone may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output.
Commodity	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Cement, hydraulic	3,937,000	4,396,000	3,156,000	2,678,000	3,509,000^e
Feldspar, crude and ground	19,000^e	29,000^e	30,000^e	33,000^e	42,000^e
Gemstones, alexandrite (carats)	2,401	3,345	6,159	20,022	20,000^e
Gemstones, pathmaraga (carats)	6,296	7,500	9,405	12,781	12,800^e
Gemstones, ruby (carats)	10,308	25,083	42,043	51,594	52,000^e
Gemstones, sapphire, includes blue sapphire, sapphire, pink sapphire, yellow sapphire, and star sapphire (carats)	1,371,670	2,981,743	2,328,065	2,347,044	2,350,000^e
Gemstones, unspecified, chrysoberyl (cat's eye) (carats)	30,077¹	30,092¹	37,217¹	38,365¹	38,000^e1
Gemstones, unspecified, other (carats)	1,276,149	2,369,836	2,461,838	2,660,042	2,700,000^e
Graphite	1,800^e	3,388	3,096	2,998	3,122
Kaolin	30,000^e	8,600^e	7,300^e	6,700^e	33,000^e
Lead, refinery, secondary	4,300^e	6,600^e	5,400^e	4,600^e	5,700^e
Mica, schist	790^e	470^e	790^e	790^e	1,000^e
Phosphate rock	52,103	68,217	35,309	46,664	54,793
Phosphate rock, P2O5 content	19,000^e	25,000^e	13,000^e	17,000^e	20,000^e
Steel products, semimanufactured	10,000^e	7,000^e	13,000^e	29,000^e	32,000^e
Stone, crushed, quartzite	28,000^e	32,000^e	27,000^e	18,000^e	14,000^e
Titanium, concentrates, ilmenite and leucoxene	18,016	49,068	29,741	53,856	40,000^e
Titanium, concentrates, rutile	1,311	1,881	740	2,150	2,000^e
Zirconium, zircon	1,500^e	3,100^e	2,100^e	2,100^e	830^e

^e Estimated.

¹ Export data from National Gem & Jewellery Authority.

References Cited

Applied Graphite Technologies, 2024, The world’s highest grade vein graphite deposits in Sri Lanka: Investor Presentation, Vancouver, Canada, Applied Graphite Technologies, April, 19 p. (Accessed April 20, 2026, at https://cdn-ceo-ca.s3.amazonaws.com/1j2mdh3-AGT-Presentation-April-2024….)

Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2025, Economic and social statistics 2025—National output, expenditure and income—Table 1.6 Gross national income by industrial origin at current market prices: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. (Accessed January 10, 2026, at https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/sites/default/files/cbslweb_documents/statistic….)

Geological Survey and Mines Bureau of Sri Lanka, 2022, About us—History—Historical background: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Geological Survey and Mines Bureau of Sri Lanka, May 26. (Accessed January 10, 2026, at https://web.archive.org/web/20220623020256/https://gsmb.gov.lk/web/inde…;

National Gem and Jewellery Authority, 2026, Heritage—Our history: Colombo, Sri Lanka, National Gem and Jewellery Authority. (Accessed January 10, 2026, at https://ngja.gov.lk/our-history/.)

Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 2009, Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Act, No. 66 of 2009: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, November 17, 18 p. (Accessed January 10, 2026, at https://www.parliament.lk/uploads/acts/english/2664.pdf.)

Stewart, A.A., 2026, Graphite (natural): U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 92–93.

Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026, Trade data monitor: Geneva, Switzerland, Trade Data Monitor database. (Accessed April 20, 2026, at https://tradedatamonitor.com/.)

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