Asbestos: Stocks
Why the real stockpile is already inside our buildings
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 asbestos fibre | Current output t (mine, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 110,000,000 | 310,000 | 355 | n/a |
| Kazakhstan | 20,000,000 | 250,000 | 80 | n/a |
| China | 7,100,000 | 250,000 | 28 | n/a |
| Brazil | 11,000,000 | 150,000 | 73 | n/a |
Recycling
Asbestos is not recycled (USGS). Only four countries mine it; the US has had no mine since 2002 and world reserves are 150 Mt. Sources differ widely on output: World Mining Data 2026 gives a 2024 world total of 1.21 Mt with Russia at 51%, while USGS gives 949,000 t with Russia at 306,900 t.
USGS puts world reserves at 150 million t, led by Russia (110 million t), Kazakhstan (20 million t) and Brazil (11 million t). That is about 156 years at 2025 output, so reserves are no constraint. The larger stock is the asbestos already in buildings, pipes and insulation. That in-use stock is a liability: it is removed and landfilled, never recycled. Tilton notes that many asbestos deposits lost their value when health concerns destroyed demand. In the US, the last consumption came from unreported stockpiles after imports ended.
Reserves
World reserves 150,000,000 metric tons Reserve life 156 years at 2025 production Russia 73% Kazakhstan 13% Brazil 7% China 5% Largest reserve holders, share of world reserves (USGS MCS 2026). Reserves are what is economic to extract today, not what exists.None.