# Thorium: Stocks

Where the world's 6.4 million tonnes lie

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

Where the world's 6.4 million tonnes lie 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 identified resources, t Th (World Nuclear Association 2017, cited by USGS; USGS publishes no reserves) | Current output not published (thorium output follows monazite recovery) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **India** | 850,000 | – | – | n/a |
| **Brazil** | 630,000 | – | – | n/a |
| **Australia** | 600,000 | – | – | n/a |
| **United States** | 600,000 | – | – | n/a |

 USGS MCS 2026, Thorium (World Resources, citing World Nuclear Association 2017). Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

#### Recycling

USGS reports no thorium recycling. World identified resources are about 6.4 million t Th (WNA 2017 via USGS). The relevant 'stock' is above ground: thorium residues from monazite processing are stored in India, France and elsewhere because little thorium is used. No country recycling rates exist; thorium is not assessed in EU CRM 2023.

USGS publishes no thorium reserves. The World Nuclear Association, cited by USGS, puts identified resources at 6.4 million t. India leads (850,000 t), then Brazil (630,000 t), Australia and the United States (600,000 t each). Much more important is the unused stock above ground. Because thorium is extracted with rare earths whether or not anyone wants it, residues accumulate and must be stored and monitored (Nassar et al.). Pitron describes thousands of tonnes held at a French rare-earth plant for future reactor fuel.

#### Reserves
 World reserves 6,400,000 metric tons thorium, identified RESOURCES not reserves (World Nuclear Association 2017, cited by USGS); no reserve estimates published India 13% Brazil 10% Australia 9% United States 9% Largest reserve holders, share of world reserves (USGS MCS 2026). Reserves are what is economic to extract today, not what exists.

None.

## Other sections

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