Aluminium: Production
How China came to smelt most of the world's aluminium
How China came to smelt most of the world's aluminium What this tab covers Who produces it and how much: world output over recent years, the top producing countries with their shares, USGS world figures for 2024 and 2025, and the largest producing companies globally and in India.Smelting is highly concentrated. China made about 60% of world primary aluminium in 2024, giving an HHI of 3,719. India and Russia follow at about 6% each, then Canada and the UAE. World output rose 12% between 2020 and 2024, to 73.4 million tonnes. Mining is less concentrated: bauxite has an HHI of 2,106, led by Guinea (34%) and Australia (24%). China also refines about 60% of the world's alumina, much of it from imported bauxite. Its smelters grew on cheap or stranded power, reaching 46% of world output as early as 2013 (Humphreys).
Aluminium · WMD
2020 65.4 m 2021 67.5 m 2022 68.8 m 2023 70.7 m 2024 73.4 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).Top producers 2024
China 60.0% India 5.7% Russia 5.7% Canada 4.5% United Arab Emirates 3.7% Bahrain 2.2% Australia 2.1% Norway 1.8% Concentration: HHI 3,719, highly concentrated.Bauxite · WMD
2020 379.0 m 2021 376.4 m 2022 398.5 m 2023 391.2 m 2024 414.0 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).Top producers 2024
Guinea 34.2% Australia 24.2% China 15.5% Brazil 7.7% India 6.0% Indonesia 2.0% Russia 1.5% Saudi Arabia 1.4% Concentration: HHI 2,106, moderately concentrated.USGS estimate
World, 2024 72,800 thousand metric tons, primary aluminium (smelter) World, 2025e 74,000 thousand metric tons, primary aluminium (smelter)Largest producers by company, global
- Chalco (Aluminum Corporation of China): 8.08 Mt primary aluminium (plus 17.35 Mt metallurgical alumina) (2025)
- China Hongqiao Group: 5.824 Mt aluminium alloy products sold (2025)
- Rusal: 3.99 Mt primary aluminium (2024)
- Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA): 2.84 Mt cast metal (2025)
- Alcoa: 9.64 Mt alumina (full-year aluminium total not clearly stated in the release; 4Q25 aluminium output was 604 kt) (2025)
Largest producers by company, India
- Vedanta (Jharsuguda, BALCO): 2.42 Mt aluminium (FY2025)
- Hindalco: 1.34 Mt primary aluminium (FY2026)
- NALCO (National Aluminium Company): 472 kt cast aluminium metal (2.30 Mt alumina hydrate, 7.70 Mt bauxite) (FY2026)