Diatomite: Stocks

Enough fossil silica for the foreseeable future

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 kt diatomite	Current output kt diatomite (mine or processed, 2025e)	Years of supply	Recycling
United States	250,000	720	347	n/a
Denmark	–	380	–	n/a
France	–	250	–	n/a
Argentina	–	190	–	n/a
Turkey	44,000	150	293	n/a

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

Recycling

US output is processed ore sold or used; Denmark's includes moler. China produced 140 kt with 120,000 kt of reserves (857 years). USGS reports no recycling. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 4% (EU CRM 2023). No India rate was found.

Reserves are large, and resources of crude diatomite are adequate for the foreseeable future. Reported reserves include 250 million t in the United States, 120 million t in China and 57 million t in Spain. A reserve life is not meaningful. The USGS reports no recycling, and spent filter cake is generally discarded. The EU's end-of-life recycling input rate is 4%. There are no strategic stockpiles or exchange inventories.

Recycling

End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 4% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).

None.