Indium: Stocks
Why spare refinery capacity matters more than reserves here
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 publishes refinery capacity instead of reserves) | Current output t In (refinery production, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | – | 760 | – | n/a |
| Korea, Republic of | – | 180 | – | n/a |
| Japan | – | 65 | – | n/a |
| Canada | – | 40 | – | n/a |
| France | – | 21 | – | n/a |
Recycling
USGS gives refinery capacity, not reserves: China 1,100 t, Korea 310 t, Canada 70 t, France 70 t, Japan 70 t, Belgium 50 t, world 1,700 t (2025). The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is about 1% (EU CRM 2023). Recycling of ITO manufacturing scrap is large, mainly in Japan and Korea, but USGS has no tonnage. No US, China or India recycling rate is published.
USGS does not estimate indium reserves; availability depends on zinc output and recovery rates. Refinery capacity of about 1,700 t exceeds 2025 output of 1,100 t, so spare capacity exists. Recycling is large in manufacturing but small at end of life. Japan and Korea reclaim the ITO scrap left over when coating display glass. Old displays are rarely recycled, so the EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 1%. The 2015 collapse of China's Fanya Metal Exchange left a large indium stock overhanging the market.
Recycling
End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 1% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).Indium is most commonly recovered from ITO scrap in Japan and the Republic of Korea; US recovery quantities were unavailable.