Mica: Stocks
Plenty of flake, but sheet mica never counted
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 t scrap and flake mica | Current output t scrap and flake mica (mine, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1,100,000 | 85,000 | 13 | n/a |
| Madagascar | – | 70,000 | – | n/a |
| Finland | – | 57,000 | – | n/a |
| United States | – | 26,000 | – | n/a |
| Korea, Republic of | 12,000,000 | 15,000 | 800 | n/a |
| India | – | 13,000 | – | n/a |
Recycling
USGS lists reserves of Madagascar, Finland, the US and India as 'large'. Sheet mica: India produced 1,000 t in 2025 with 110,000 t of reserves (110 years) and China holds 75,000 t of sheet reserves (USGS). USGS reports no mica recycling; mica is not assessed in the EU CRM study. No India rate was found.
Scrap and flake resources are more than adequate, found in clays, granites, pegmatites and schists. Reported reserves include 12 million t in Korea and 1.1 million t in China, while most others are simply 'large'. Sheet mica resources have never been formally evaluated, because it occurs sporadically. Mica is not recycled. The United States holds no stockpile today. Mica paper made from scrap now substitutes for much natural sheet in insulation.
None.