Silicon: Production
How China came to make four-fifths of all silicon
What this tab covers Who produces it and how much: world output over recent years, the top producing countries with their shares, USGS world figures for 2024 and 2025, and the largest producing companies globally and in India.China dominates. USGS estimates it made almost 80% of the world's silicon materials in 2025, including about 4.0 of 4.6 million tons of silicon metal and 3.5 of 5.0 million tons of ferrosilicon (silicon content, excluding the US). Brazil, Norway, Russia and France are distant followers. World silicon metal output fell in 2025 as China's dropped from 4.8 to 4.0 million tons. Downstream, China makes most solar polysilicon but has yet to master semiconductor grade, and wafer-making sits with a few Japanese, German, Singaporean and Korean firms (Conway, pdf pp. 81, 84).
USGS estimate
World, 2024 10,100 thousand metric tons, Si content (ferrosilicon 4,600/5,000 + silicon metal 5,500/4,600; excludes US) World, 2025e 9,600 thousand metric tons, Si content (ferrosilicon 4,600/5,000 + silicon metal 5,500/4,600; excludes US)Largest producers by company, global
Ferroglobe 147,112 t silicon metal shipped, latest reported year.Largest producers by company, India
India produced about 59 kt of ferrosilicon (Si content) and no silicon metal in 2025 (USGS). It imported 5.2% of world silicon metal and 8.5% of world ferrosilicon by value in 2024 (UN Comtrade). Silicon is on India's 2023 critical minerals list. No Indian producer volumes were found.