# Kaolin & clays: Stocks

Endless clay, but scarce bright kaolin

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/stocks/

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 |

 USGS MCS 2026, Clays, world mine production table. Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

#### 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.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/links/index.md)