Kaolin & clays: Stocks
Endless clay, but scarce bright kaolin
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 not estimated (USGS: global reserves large, no country data) | Current output kt kaolin (mine, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | – | 8,400 | – | n/a |
| China | – | 7,800 | – | n/a |
| Uzbekistan | – | 6,000 | – | n/a |
| Russia | – | 5,000 | – | n/a |
| United States | – | 4,800 | – | n/a |
Recycling
Rows are kaolin; India's figure includes crude ore. Bentonite leaders in 2025: US 4,100 kt, India 3,700 kt, Turkey 2,500 kt, China 2,100 kt, Iran 1,300 kt; world kaolin 50,000 kt and bentonite 20,000 kt (USGS). USGS calls clay recycling insignificant, but the EU end-of-life recycling input rate for kaolin is 31% (EU CRM 2023). No India rate was found.
Clay resources are described as extremely large, and the USGS publishes no country reserves. Scarcity is about quality. Bright, fine, low-iron kaolin deposits are far rarer than common clay, which is why a few districts supply coating grades worldwide. The USGS calls recycling of clays insignificant. The EU, however, records a 31% end-of-life recycling input rate for kaolin, unusually high for an industrial mineral. There are no strategic stockpiles and no exchange inventories.
Recycling
End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 31% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).Recycling of clays is insignificant.