Zambia
Zambia was the world's eighth-ranked producer of mined copper
Pictured: blister copper
Statistics and information on the mining industry in Zambia.
Overview
In 2024, Zambia was the world's eighth-ranked producer of mined copper, accounting for 3.6% of global production and 2% of global reserves. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement; cobalt; fluorspar; gold; lime; limestone; manganese; nickel; gemstones such as amethyst, beryl, emerald, and tourmaline; raw steel; and sulfuric acid. The mining and quarrying sector contributed 17.4% to the gross domestic product. Copper remained the primary commodity produced in Zambia and continued to be the main source of foreign exchange earnings in 2024. Copper exports accounted for about 66% or \$7.5 billion of the country's total export of goods; nickel ore and concentrates accounted for about 3% or \$323 million; and gold, 2% or \$262 million. Copper and articles thereof were exported mainly to Switzerland (accounting for about 61% of total exported volume), followed by China (30%), Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (3% each), Hong Kong (1%), and South Africa (less than 1%).
The mining sector in 2024 was regulated by the Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015, and its amendments Act No. 14 of 2016, Act No. 18 of 2018, and Act No. 29 of 2022. Zambia’s mining sector was in a period of regulatory transition following Parliament’s passage of the Minerals Regulation Commission Act in 2024. Despite receiving parliamentary approval, the Act had not yet entered into force as of yearend 2024. The Act creates a single autonomous regulator—the Minerals Regulation Commission—responsible for regulating, monitoring, and managing all mineral resources in Zambia, including licensing oversight and compliance enforcement. It also establishes the Mining Appeals Tribunal. In 2024, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development was responsible for enacting legislation for the mining sector and for developing and managing mineral resources. Zambia’s mineral production was dominated by international companies, with additional contributions from Government‑owned enterprises and artisanal miners.
In 2024, Zambia’s copper and gold productions were dominated by First Quantum Minerals Ltd. of Canada, which continued to advance its Kansanshi S3 Expansion project. Barrick Gold Corp. of Canada completed a feasibility study for a $2 billion expansion project at the Lumwana Mine to double copper output by 2028. Mopani Copper Mines plc secured a \$1.1 billion investment plan to increase production at the Nkana and Mufulira copper mines. China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co. Ltd. and its subsidiaries also contributed significant output of copper.
In 2024, Zambia was the world's eighth-ranked producer of mined copper accounting for 3.6% of global production and 2% of global reserves. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement; cobalt; fluorspar; gold; lime; limestone; manganese; nickel; gemstones such as amethyst, beryl, emerald, and tourmaline; raw steel; and sulfuric acid. The mining and quarrying sector contributed 17.4% to the gross domestic product. Copper remained the primary commodity produced in Zambia and continued to be the main source of foreign exchange earnings in 2024. Copper exports accounted for about 66% or \$7.5 billion of the country's total export of goods; nickel ore and concentrates, about 3% or \$323 million; and gold, 2% or \$262 million. Copper and articles thereof were exported mainly to Switzerland (accounting for about 61% of total exported volume), followed by China (30%), Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (3% each), Hong Kong (1%), and South Africa (<1%) (Bank of Zambia, 2025, p. 37, 39, 41; Flanagan, 2025, 2026; Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2025, p. 6; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026).
The mining sector in 2024 was regulated by the Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015, and its amendments Act No. 14 of 2016, Act No. 18 of 2018, and Act No. 29 of 2022. Zambia’s mining sector was in a period of regulatory transition following Parliament’s passage of the Minerals Regulation Commission Act in 2024. Despite receiving parliamentary approval, the Act had not yet entered into force as of yearend 2024. The Act creates a single autonomous regulator—the Minerals Regulation Commission—responsible for regulating, monitoring, and managing all mineral resources in Zambia, including licensing oversight and compliance enforcement. It also establishes the Mining Appeals Tribunal. In 2024, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development was responsible for enacting legislation for the mining sector and for developing and managing mineral resources. Zambia’s mineral production is dominated by international companies, with additional contributions from Government‑owned enterprises and artisanal miners. 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—Africa and the Middle East, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/afric…. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities (Mdala, 2025; Zambia Legal Information Institute, 2024).
Commodity Review
Copper and Nickel.—In 2024, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (First Quantum) of Canada was the country's leading copper producer and owned the Enterprise, Kansanshi, and Sentinel Mines. Copper production at the Sentinel Mine was 230,792 metric tons (t) in 2024. The Kansanshi Mine produced 136,007 t of copper concentrates and 34,922 t of copper cathode. Enterprise Mine achieved commercial production status on June 1, 2024, and produced about 19,000 t of nickel by yearend. In 2024, First Quantum advanced its Kansanshi S3 Expansion project, which remained on track for completion in 2025 (First Quantum Minerals Ltd., 2025, p. 3, 14, 76).
Barrick Gold Corp. of Canada produced 123,000 t of copper concentrate at the Lumwana Mine in 2024. The company also continued its $2 billion investment in a plant and mine expansion project, which was expected to increase the Lumwana Mine’s production capacity to 240,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) from its current 120,000-t/yr capacity by 2028. The bankable feasibility study for the expansion project was completed in 2024, with the start of construction projected for 2025 (Facilities table; Barrick Gold Corp., 2025, p. 3, 32, 84).
Mopani Copper Mines plc, a subsidiary of ZCCM Investments Holdings plc (ZCCM-IH), produced a total of 63,610 t of copper in 2024 at the Nkana and Mufulira Mines. In 2024, ZCCM-IH partnered with International Resources Holdings, which acquired a 51% stake in Mopani while ZCCM-IH retained 49%. The partnership agreement included a \$220 million working‑capital injection and a \$400 million investment under the Project Development Plan that aimed to increase Mopani’s copper production to above 200,000 t/yr within 4 to 5 years (Facilities table; Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investments Holdings plc, 2025, p. 32).
China Nonferrous Metals Mining (Group) Corp. Ltd. (CNMC) owned several copper mines and processing plants through its subsidiaries in Zambia, including Chambishi Copper Smelter Co. Ltd. (CCS), CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines plc (Luanshya), NFC Africa Mining plc (NFCA), and Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Ltd. (SML). CCS operated the Chambishi Smelting Plant and produced a total of 263,001 t of blister copper and copper anodes in 2024. Luanshya operated the Baluba East Mine, Baluba Center Mine, Luanshya Slag Recovery Plant, Muliashi North Mine (closed in September 2024), Muliashi Leach Plant, Roan Basin Mine, and the Roan Extension East Mine. Luanshya produced 44,418 t of copper cathodes in 2024. NFCA operated the Chambishi Main Mine, Chambishi West Mine, and Chambishi Southeast Mine, along with an ancillary processing plant, and produced 68,191 t of copper anodes. SML operated the Mwambashi Mine and the Chambishi Leach Plant and produced 5,754 t of copper cathodes and 6,554 t of blister copper and copper anode (China Nonferrous Mining Corp. Ltd., 2025, p. 27–29).
Production table
(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)
| Commodity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement, hydraulic | 2,796,896 | 2,732,013 | 2,369,195 | 2,768,319 | 3,262,319 |
| Cobalt, mine, concentrates, Co content | 316 | 247 | 251 | 1,507 | 1,410 |
| Cobalt, refinery, metal, Co content | 100 | 0e | 0e | 0e | 0e |
| Copper, mine, concentrates, by concentration or cementation, Cu content | 700,100 | 687,600 | 664,100 | 626,100 | 711,900 |
| Copper, mine, solvent extraction, Cu content | 139,600 | 122,600 | 99,500 | 110,500 | 110,900 |
| Copper, refinery, leaching, electrowon, Cu content | 139,600 | 122,600 | 99,500 | 110,500 | 110,900 |
| Copper, refinery, primary, other, Cu content | 232,300 | 213,400 | 177,000 | 111,000 | 78,400 |
| Copper, smelter, primary, includes low-grade electrowon, Cu content | 789,600 | 769,100 | 727,200 | 648,900 | 683,900 |
| Fluorspar, metallurgical grade | 4,000e | 9,800e | 13,000e | 20,000e | 35,000e |
| Gemstones, amethyst (kilograms) | 600,000e | 1,545,311 | 1,650,000e | 1,530,000e | 1,640,000e |
| Gemstones, beryl (kilograms) | 3,400e | 4,500e | 7,800e | 5,300e | 11,000e |
| Gemstones, emerald (kilograms) | 9,783 | 12,871 | 22,381 | 14,813 | 31,683 |
| Gemstones, tourmaline (kilograms) | 10,000e | 12,000e | 12,000e | 12,000e | 12,000e |
| Gold, mine, Au content (kilograms) | 3,9931 | 3,9871 | 3,4631 | 2,1991 | 3,1421 |
| Lime | 320,000e | 300,000e | 300,000e | 300,000e | 350,000e |
| Manganese, mine, ore | 186,000 | 132,241 | 158,675 | 171,066 | 134,933 |
| Manganese, mine, ore, Mn content | 82,000e | 58,000e | 70,000e | 75,000e | 59,000e |
| Nickel, mine, concentrates, Ni content | 3,226 | 3,834 | 4,059 | 7,704 | 21,040 |
| Raw steel | 200,000e | 220,000e | 230,000e | 260,000e | 280,000e |
| Stone, crushed, limestone | 3,150,000e | 3,500,000e | 3,300,000e | 3,400,000e | 3,600,000e |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid | 793,221 | 1,041,490 | 1,010,164 | 955,360 | 1,056,035 |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid, S content | 258,590 | 339,526 | 329,313 | 311,447 | 344,267 |
References Cited
- Bank of Zambia, 2025, Annual report 2024: Lusaka, Zambia, Bank of Zambia, 173 p. (Accessed January 5, 2026, at https://www.boz.zm/Bank_of_Zambia_2024_Annual_Report.pdf.)
- Barrick Gold Corp., 2025, Annual report 2024: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Barrick Gold Corp., 185 p. (Accessed November 28, 2025, at https://s25.q4cdn.com/322814910/files/doc_financial/annual_reports/2024….)
- China Nonferrous Mining Corp. Ltd., 2025, Annual report 2024; Kowloon, Hong Kong, China Nonferrous Mining Corp. Ltd., 184 p. (Accessed November 28, 2025, at https://www.cnmcl.net/media/xknnn0cq/hkex-eps_20250425_11641472_0en.pdf.)
- First Quantum Minerals Ltd., 2025, Annual report 2024: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, First Quantum Minerals Ltd., April 10, 137 p. (Accessed November 29, 2025, at https://www.first-quantum.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/First-Quantum-….)
- Flanagan, D.M., 2025, Copper: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025, p. 64–65.
- Flanagan, D.M., 2026, Copper: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 72–73.
- Mdala, Harriet, 2025, Mining series—The role of the Minerals Regulation Commission in Zambia's mining sector: Lusaka, Zambia, Chambers and Partners, March 10. (Accessed December 6, 2025, at https://chambers.com/articles/mining-series-the-role-of-the-minerals-re….)
- Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2025, 2024 annual economic report: Lusaka, Zambia, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, May 16, 76 p. (Accessed January 5, 2026, via https://www.mofnp.gov.zm/?wpdmpro=2024-annual-economic-report.)
- State House, The, 2025, Mingomba mine flagship project for Zambia, US partnership—President Hichilema: Lusaka, Zambia, The State House, Zambia, September 29. (Accessed December 6, 2025, at https://www.sh.gov.zm/mingomba-mine-flagship-project-for-zambia-us-part….)
- Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026, HS codes—74: Charleston, U.S., Trade Data Monitor LLC. (Accessed January 13, 2026, via https://www1.tdmlogin.com/tdm/default.asp).
- ZCCM Investments Holdings plc, 2024, Integrated annual report—For the year ended 31 December 2023: Lusaka, Zambia, ZCCM Investments Holdings plc, June 10, 204 p. (Accessed January 6, 2026, via https://zccm-ih.financifi.com/download/integrated-annual-report/.)
- ZCCM Investments Holdings plc, 2025, Integrated annual report—For the year ended 31 December 2024: Lusaka, Zambia, ZCCM Investments Holdings plc, July 2, 204 p. (Accessed November 29, 2025, via https://zccm-ih.financifi.com/download/integrated-annual-report-3/.)
- Zambia Legal Information Institute, 2024, Minerals Regulation Commission Act, 2024: Lusaka, Zambia, Zambia Legal Information Institute, December 26. (Accessed December 6, 2025, at https://zambialii.org/akn/zm/act/2024/14/eng@2024-12-26.)
Publications
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Tables: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017-18 | 2019 | 2020-21 | 2022 Tables-only release