Chromium: Stocks
Centuries of chromite, packed into two regions
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 Mt chromite ore (gross weight) | Current output Mt chromite ore (gross weight, mine, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 350 | 23 | 15 | n/a |
| Turkey | 27 | 9 | 3 | n/a |
| Kazakhstan | 230 | 7 | 33 | n/a |
| India | 79 | 3 | 26 | n/a |
| Zimbabwe | 140 | 2 | 70 | n/a |
| Brazil | 3.9 | 2 | 2 | n/a |
Recycling
Chromium is recycled inside stainless scrap. US: recycled chromium was 21% of apparent consumption in 2025 (USGS). EU: end-of-life recycling input rate 21% (EU CRM 2023). No figures for China, Japan or India were found.
USGS reserves exceed 1.2 billion tonnes of ore, or more than 540 million tonnes of Cr2O3. That is about 24 years of 2025 output, which understates abundance. Resources exceed 12 billion tonnes of shipping-grade chromite, enough for centuries, though 95% lie in Kazakhstan and southern Africa. Recycling runs through stainless scrap: recycled chromium met 21% of US apparent consumption in 2025. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is also 21%. The US stockpile listed 21,800 tonnes of ferrochromium for potential disposal in FY2025.
Reserves
World reserves 1,200,000 thousand metric tons, ore gross weight (USGS reports more than 1,200,000; Cr2O3 content more than 540,000) Reserve life 24 years at 2025 production South Africa 29% Kazakhstan 19% Zimbabwe 12% India 7% Finland 5% 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: 21% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).In 2025 recycled chromium contained in stainless-steel scrap accounted for 21% of US apparent consumption.