Magnesium: Stocks
Effectively unlimited, from rock, brine and seawater
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 thousand t magnesite (gross weight) | Current output thousand t magnesite (gross weight, mine production 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 700,000 | 12,700 | 55 | n/a |
| Brazil | 200,000 | 1,800 | 111 | n/a |
| Russia | 2,300,000 | 1,700 | 1353 | n/a |
| Turkey | 110,000 | 1,600 | 69 | n/a |
| Austria | 49,000 | 650 | 75 | n/a |
Recycling
USGS publishes reserves for magnesite only; magnesium metal resources in dolomite, brines and seawater are virtually unlimited. Metal recycling: EU end-of-life recycling input rate 13% (EU CRM 2023). In the US in 2025, 26 kt of secondary magnesium came from old scrap and 82 kt from new scrap; aluminium-base alloys held about 53% of it (USGS). Magnesia refractories are partly recycled as aggregate and foundry sand. No India, China or Japan rate was found.
Reserves are effectively unlimited. USGS lists 7.8 billion t of magnesite reserves, about 370 years of 2025 output, plus brines and seawater. Recycling is substantial for a light metal. In 2025 the US recovered about 26,000 t of magnesium from old scrap and 82,000 t from new scrap, much of it inside aluminium alloy scrap. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 13%. Inventories are opaque. Producer stocks are withheld, and US stockpile plans for fiscal 2025 listed only 3,500 t of potential acquisitions.
Reserves
World reserves 7,800,000 thousand metric tons, magnesite gross weight Reserve life 371 years at 2025 production Russia 29% Slovakia 15% China 9% Australia 4% Greece 4% 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: 13% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).In 2025 about 26,000 t of secondary magnesium came from old scrap and 82,000 t from new scrap, about 53% of it in aluminium-base alloys.