# Silicon: Stocks

The Earth's crust is mostly silica: no shortage here

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/stocks/

The Earth's crust is mostly silica: no shortage here 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 not applicable (quartz resources are abundant; USGS gives no reserves) | Current output kt Si content (ferrosilicon + silicon metal, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | – | 7,500 | – | n/a |
| **Russia** | – | 455 | – | n/a |
| **Brazil** | – | 350 | – | n/a |
| **Norway** | – | 280 | – | n/a |
| **Kazakhstan** | – | 127 | – | n/a |

 USGS MCS 2026, Silicon (world production of ferrosilicon and silicon metal, Si content). USGS publishes no reserves because silica resources are adequate for many decades; US output is withheld.. Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

#### Recycling

Silicon recycling is insignificant in the US (USGS 2026), and the EU end-of-life recycling input rate for silicon metal is 0% (EU CRM 2023). Some solar panel and wafer-kerf recycling is emerging, but no national rates were found.

Reserves are not quantified. USGS says silica resources are abundant and adequate for many decades in most producing countries; silica makes up about two-thirds of the upper crust by mass (Hayes & McCullough, pdf p. 7). Recycling is insignificant, because silicon is dissipated into steel, alloys and silicones, and the EU gives it an end-of-life recycling input rate of 0%. Inventories matter more than geology. US producer stocks were about 15,000 tons at end-2023, and in 2025 an overhang of polysilicon stocks helped depress silicon metal prices.

#### Recycling
 End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 0% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).

USGS describes silicon recycling as insignificant.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/links/index.md)