Zinc: Production
A widely mined metal with China in front
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.Mining is spread across many countries. China supplied 32% of 2024 output, Peru 10%, Australia 9% and Mexico 8%. The HHI of 1,429 counts as unconcentrated. World mine output drifted down about 3% between 2020 and 2024, to 12.3 million tonnes (World Mining Data). USGS puts 2024 lower, at 11.9 million tonnes, rising to about 13 million in 2025 as Peru and Russia grew. US output fell 12% in 2025 as the Red Dog mine in Alaska neared the end of its life. Refining is shifting to China, where new capacity lifted forecast 2025 refined output to 13.8 million tonnes worldwide.
Zinc · WMD
2020 12.7 m 2021 12.9 m 2022 12.7 m 2023 12.5 m 2024 12.3 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).Top producers 2024
China 32.2% Peru 10.3% Australia 8.9% Mexico 8.2% India 7.0% United States 6.2% Bolivia 4.2% Kazakhstan 3.0% Concentration: HHI 1,429, unconcentrated.USGS estimate
World, 2024 11,900 thousand metric tons, zinc content (mine) World, 2025e 13,000 thousand metric tons, zinc content (mine)Largest producers by company, global
- Hindustan Zinc (Vedanta): 1.095 Mt mined metal (zinc plus lead) (FY2025)
- Glencore: 0.969 Mt zinc (own-sourced) (2025)
- Korea Zinc: 0.591 Mt zinc ingot sales (2025)
- Teck Resources: 0.565 Mt zinc in concentrate (2025)
- Zijin Mining: 0.4 Mt mined zinc and lead combined (2025)
- Nexa Resources: 0.316 Mt mined zinc (532 kt smelter zinc sales) (2025)
Largest producers by company, India
- Hindustan Zinc: 827 kt refined zinc (plus 225 kt refined lead, 687 t silver) (FY2025)
- Vedanta Zinc International: 178 kt mined metal (FY2025)