Zinc Statistics and Information

Zinc is the 23^rd most abundant element in the earth's crust. Sphalerite, zinc sulfide, is and has been the principal ore mineral in the world. Zinc is necessary to modern living, and, in tonnage produced, stands fourth among all metals in world production - being exceeded only by iron, aluminum, and copper.  Zinc uses range from metal products to rubber and medicines.  About three-fourths of zinc used is consumed as metal, mainly as a coating to protect iron and steel from corrosion (galvanized metal), as alloying metal to make bronze and brass, as zinc-based die casting alloy, and as rolled zinc. The remaining one-fourth is consumed as zinc compounds mainly by the rubber, chemical, paint, and agricultural industries.  Zinc is also a necessary element for proper growth and development of humans, animals, and plants; it is the second most common trace metal, after iron, naturally found in the human body.

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We are in the process of transitioning our datasets to the USGS ScienceBase platform to enhance long‑term accessibility, documentation, and version control. In addition to the established format published on this page, Mineral Industry Surveys beginning with the 2026 editions are now available in a ScienceBase data release, to which data from subsequent reporting periods will be appended.

Monthly Publications

Mineral Industry Surveys

• Zinc
    PDF Format:
      2026: | Jan | 
      2025: | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
    XLSX Format:
      2026: | Jan | 
      2025: | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
• U.S Production of Selected Mineral Commodities (Quarterly Mineral Industry Surveys)

Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

• Zinc
    PDF Format:
       | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |2012 |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 |2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
• Appendixes|

Minerals Yearbook

• Zinc
    PDF Format:
       | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
    XLS Format:
       | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 tables-only release |
• Archive
       | 1932-1993 |
• Recycling-Metals

Special Publications

• Critical Minerals Review 2021
• Factors that Influence the Price of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Rare Earth Elements, and Zn
  Open-File Report 2008-1356
• Flow Studies for Recycling Metal Commodities in the United States
  C-1196-A-M
• Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States
  Data Series 140
  • Zinc
• Historical Zinc Smelting in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., with Estimates of Atmospheric Zinc Emissions and Other Materials
  Open-File Report 2010-1131
• International Mineral Exploration Activities From 1995 Through 2004
  Data Series 139
• The Materials Flow of Zinc in the United States 1850-1990
  U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 72-92
• Metal Prices in the United States through 2010
  Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5188
• Statistical Compendium
  • Zinc
• Zinc - The Key to Preventing Corrosion 
  Fact Sheet 2011-3016

Links

• International Lead and Zinc Study Group