Lithium: Stocks
Why running out is not the real worry
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 Li content | Current output kt Li content (mine, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 8,400 | 92 | 91 | n/a |
| China | 4,600 | 62 | 74 | n/a |
| Chile | 9,200 | 56 | 164 | n/a |
| Zimbabwe | 500 | 28 | 18 | n/a |
| Argentina | 4,400 | 23 | 191 | n/a |
Recycling
World end-of-life lithium recycling is still very small because most EV batteries remain in service. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 0% (EU CRM 2023). USGS reports battery recycling plants under construction in the US but gives no quantity (MCS 2026). Benchmark expects recycling to supply almost half of lithium by 2050. No country figures were found for China, Japan or India. Australia's JORC-compliant reserves are lower, at 5.1 Mt; US reserves are 4.4 Mt with output withheld.
USGS puts world reserves at 37 million tons of lithium, about 128 years of 2025 output, led by Chile, Australia and China. Measured and indicated resources are about 150 million tons, and seawater holds vastly more at higher cost, so Tilton and Guzmán conclude depletion is no long-run threat (pdf p. 237). Recycling is still negligible: the EU's end-of-life recycling input rate is 0%, since most batteries are still in service. Recycling plants are being built in partnership with automakers. Inventories of spodumene, carbonate and hydroxide held along the Chinese chain swing sharply with price.
Reserves
World reserves 37,000,000 metric tons, Li content Reserve life 128 years at 2025 production Chile 25% Australia 23% China 12% Argentina 12% United States 12% Largest reserve holders, share of world reserves (USGS MCS 2026). Reserves are what is economic to extract today, not what exists.Recycling
End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 0% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).Construction of lithium battery recycling plants continued in 2025, with automakers and recyclers partnering to supply battery materials.