energy
Cobalt
DR Congo accounted for an estimated 73% of world mine production; Indonesia 14%.
Country panel
- Import reliance
- 79%2025 — USGS MCS 2026, 2025
- Official critical list
- Yes2025 — Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, 2025
- Top import partners
- Norway 26%USGS US import sources 2021–2024
- Finland 16%USGS US import sources 2021–2024
- Canada 14%USGS US import sources 2021–2024
- Japan 14%USGS US import sources 2021–2024
Global totals
- Production
- 310,000 t2025 — USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025
- Reserves
- 12 million t2025 — USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025
- Reserve life
- known reserves cover ~39 years at current production
Concentration
- DR Congo 73.1%
- Indonesia 14.0%
- Other countries 2.9%
Production share
- DR Congo73.1%
- Indonesia14.0%
- Other countries2.9%
- Russia2.4%
- Madagascar1.2%
- Australia1.2%
- Philippines1.2%
- Canada1.1%
- Papua New Guinea0.9%
- China0.6%
- Cuba0.6%
- Turkey0.6%
- United States0.1%
Colour scale is colour-blind-safe sand to rust. Grey means no listed figure. “Other countries” is not drawn. On small screens the map is a ranked list.
Top producers
Share of listed production versus share of listed reserves.
| Country | Production | Reserves |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 73.1% | 52.1% |
| Indonesia | 14% | 6.6% |
| Other countries | 2.9% | 6.8% |
| Russia | 2.4% | 6.9% |
| Madagascar | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| Australia | 1.2% | 14.8% |
| Philippines | 1.2% | 2.3% |
| Canada | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Papua New Guinea | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| China | 0.6% | 1.4% |
Uses
Recycling
Cobalt in purchased scrap represented 25% of estimated US consumption in 2025.
Substitution
Iron-phosphorus cathodes and lower-cobalt battery chemistries have taken share, especially in China. Substitutes in other uses generally cost more or perform worse.