Antimony: Stocks
Why a short reserve life is not a shortage
What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.Top five countries: reserves, output and years of supply
| Country | Reserves t Sb content | Current output t Sb content (mine production, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 830,000 | 40,000 | 21 | n/a |
| Russia | 350,000 | 32,000 | 11 | n/a |
| Tajikistan | 60,000 | 22,000 | 3 | n/a |
| Bolivia | 310,000 | 5,000 | 62 | n/a |
| Burma | 140,000 | 4,500 | 31 | n/a |
Recycling
World reserves exceed 2 Mt (USGS 2026). Recycling comes mainly from lead-acid batteries: US secondary production was 3,500 t in 2025, 12% of apparent consumption (USGS); EU end-of-life recycling input rate 28% (EU CRM 2023). Antimony in flame retardants and glass is dissipated and not recovered. No India, China or Japan rate was found.
USGS puts world reserves above 2 million t, led by China (830,000 t), Russia (350,000 t) and Bolivia (310,000 t). At 2025 output that is only about 18 years, a short reserve life. It reflects limited exploration more than exhaustion. Recycling recovers antimony from lead-acid batteries and supplied 12% of US consumption in 2025. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 28%. Antimony in flame retardants is dispersed and lost. The US stockpile planned up to 700 t of acquisitions for fiscal 2025.
Reserves
World reserves 2,000,000 metric tons, antimony content (world total stated as >2,000,000) Reserve life 18 years at 2025 production China 42% Russia 18% Bolivia 16% Kyrgyzstan 13% Burma 7% Largest reserve holders, share of world reserves (USGS MCS 2026). Reserves are what is economic to extract today, not what exists.Recycling
End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 28% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).Most secondary antimony is recovered at secondary lead smelters as antimonial lead from spent lead-acid batteries.