Perlite: Stocks
Why Greece's reserves matter to American buyers
Why Greece's reserves matter to American buyers 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 perlite | Current output kt perlite (mine or processed, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 32,000 | 1,500 | 21 | n/a |
| Turkey | – | 1,400 | – | n/a |
| Greece | 180,000 | 840 | 214 | n/a |
| United States | 50,000 | 460 | 109 | n/a |
| Hungary | – | 80 | – | n/a |
Recycling
US output is processed ore sold or used; Turkey's and Hungary's are crude ore. Turkey's reserves are not available. USGS gives no recycling data. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 42% (EU CRM 2023). No India rate was found.
USGS does not estimate world reserves, so reserve life cannot be computed. Listed reserves include Greece at 180 Mt, the United States at 50 Mt and China at 32 Mt. Resources in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon may be large. Perlite is cheap and bulky, so there are no exchange or strategic stocks. US recycling data are not available. The EU nonetheless reports a 42% end-of-life recycling input rate, high for an industrial mineral.
Recycling
End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 42% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).Recycling data are not available.