# Sulfur: Production

Who produces it, and why oil states lead

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sulfur/production/

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.

World Mining Data shows output rising from 79.3 Mt in 2020 to 83.7 Mt in 2024. USGS gives 83.9 Mt for 2024 and 84 Mt for 2025, all forms. China leads with about 22%, including acid from smelters and pyrite. The United States (10%), Saudi Arabia (9%), the UAE (8%), Russia (7%) and Canada (6%) follow. The HHI of 935 makes it unconcentrated. Output depends on oil refining and sour-gas processing, not on sulfur demand. USGS expects growth from refinery upgrades and new refining projects.

#### Sulfur (elementar & industrial) · WMD
 2020 79.3 m 2021 78.5 m 2022 81.8 m 2023 81.7 m 2024 83.7 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).

#### Top producers 2024
 China 22.5% United States 9.9% Saudi Arabia 9.4% United Arab Emirates 8.1% Russia 6.7% Canada 6.0% Kazakhstan 5.6% India 4.7% Concentration: HHI 935, unconcentrated.

#### USGS estimate
 World, 2024 83,900 thousand metric tons, sulfur content (all forms) World, 2025e 84,000 thousand metric tons, sulfur content (all forms)

#### Largest producers by company, global

Company volumes are not published on a comparable basis.

#### Largest producers by company, India

India produced about 3.7 Mt of sulfur in 2025, all forms (USGS), mainly at refineries such as Jamnagar. It uses 3.8-3.9 Mt a year, of which 2-2.1 Mt goes to fertiliser makers, and 52% was imported in 2024-25 (OneIndia, Sep 2026). Imports were 2.25 Mt in 2025, 84% from the Middle East (Argus). India has only 2.2 Mt of phosphoric acid capacity, meeting half its needs, so it also imports acid and finished DAP.

## Other sections

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