Caesium: Stocks
Why the most useful stock is already in use
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.Recycling
There are no official production or country reserve figures. USGS estimates reserves in Australia, Canada, China and Namibia total less than 200,000 t. Recycling is significant in two niches: about 85% of cesium formate brine is recovered after each well, and cesium iodide is recycled from X-ray panels. No country recycling rates were found, and cesium is not assessed in EU CRM 2023.
USGS cannot assign reserves to countries but puts reserves in Australia, Canada, China and Namibia at less than 200,000 t of cesium oxide in total. Without production data, no reserve life can be computed. The most interesting stock is in use. About 11,000 t of cesium formate brine circulates in drilling, and only 5% is depleted and replaced each year. Nearly 85% of used brine is returned and reprocessed. Cesium iodide is also recovered from X-ray panels. There is no US government stockpile.
Nearly 85% of cesium formate drilling brine is recovered and reprocessed, and cesium iodide is recycled from radiography panels.