Kaolin & clays: Production

Why kaolin supply is so widely spread

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.

World kaolin output was about 49 million t in 2024 by both World Mining Data and the USGS, up from 42.7 million t in 2020. Production is unconcentrated, with an HHI of 1,009. WMD has China and India level at about 17% each, while the USGS puts India ahead. Russia, the United States and Indonesia follow in WMD data. Bentonite totals about 19 million t, with an HHI of 1,243. The United States leads at 21%, ahead of India and Turkey. US output of all clays was 26 million t in 2025.

Kaolin (China-Clay) · WMD

2020 42.7 m 2021 44.5 m 2022 44.8 m 2023 45.4 m 2024 48.9 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).

Top producers 2024

China 17.3% India 17.2% Russia 10.4% United States 9.5% Indonesia 9.0% Germany 7.2% Iran 5.4% Czechia 4.9% Concentration: HHI 1,009, unconcentrated.

Bentonite · WMD

2020 18.9 m 2021 18.9 m 2022 18.7 m 2023 19.4 m 2024 19.0 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).

Top producers 2024

United States 21.0% India 19.0% Turkey 13.3% China 10.3% Iran 10.0% Greece 5.3% Russia 2.8% Brazil 2.0% Concentration: HHI 1,243, unconcentrated.

USGS estimate

World, 2024 49,100 thousand metric tons, kaolin (mine); bentonite 19,400 and 20,000 World, 2025e 50,000 thousand metric tons, kaolin (mine); bentonite 19,400 and 20,000

Largest producers by company, global

Ashapura Minechem 770 kt/yr bentonite grinding capacity (kaolin capacity 108 kt/yr), latest reported year.

Largest producers by company, India

Ashapura Minechem: 770 kt/yr bentonite grinding capacity (Aug 2025)
Morbi ceramic cluster (Gujarat): 565 million sq m tiles exported by India (2025) (2025)