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All the Metals We Mined

 

By 

Govind Bhutada

This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.

Metals are all around us, from our phones and cars to our homes and office buildings.

While we often overlook the presence of these raw materials, they are an essential part of the modern economy. But obtaining these materials can be a complex process that involves mining, refining, and then converting them into usable forms.

So, how much metal gets mined in a year?

Metals vs Ores

Before digging into the numbers, it’s important that we distinguish between ores and metals.

Ores are naturally occurring rocks that contain metals and metal compounds. Metals are the valuable parts of ores that can be extracted by separating and removing the waste rock. As a result, ore production is typically much higher than the actual metal content of the ore. For example, miners produced 347 million tonnes of bauxite ore in 2019, but the actual aluminum metal content extracted from that was only 62.9 million tonnes.

Here are all the metals and metal ores mined in 2019, according to the British Geological Survey:

Metal/Ore	Quantity Mined (tonnes)	% of Total
Iron Ore	3,040,000,000	93.57%
Industrial Metals	207,478,486	6.39%
Technology and Precious Metals	1,335,848	0.04%
Total	3,248,814,334	100%

Miners produced roughly three billion tonnes of iron ore in 2019, representing close to 94% of all mined metals. The primary use of all this iron is to make steel. In fact, 98% of iron ore goes into steelmaking, with the rest fulfilling various other applications.

Industrial and technology metals made up the other 6% of all mined metals in 2019. How do they break down?

Industrial Metals

From construction and agriculture to manufacturing and transportation, virtually every industry harnesses the properties of metals in different ways.

Here are the industrial metals we mined in 2019.

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Metal	Quantity Mined (tonnes)	% of Total
Aluminum	62,900,000	30%
Manganese Ore	56,600,000	27%
Chromium Ores and Concentrates	38,600,000	19%
Copper	20,700,000	10%
Zinc	12,300,000	6%
Titanium (Titanium Dioxide Content)	6,300,000	3%
Lead	4,700,000	2%
Nickel	2,702,000	1%
Zirconium Minerals (Zircon)	1,337,000	1%
Magnesium	1,059,736	1%
Total	207,478,486	100%

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Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

It’s no surprise that aluminum is the most-produced industrial metal. The lightweight metal is one of the most commonly used materials in the world, with uses ranging from making foils and beer kegs to buildings and aircraft parts.

Manganese and chromium rank second and third respectively in terms of metal mined, and are important ingredients in steelmaking. Manganese helps convert iron ore into steel, and chromium hardens and toughens steel. Furthermore, manganese is a critical ingredient of lithium-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) batteries for electric vehicles.

Although copper production is around one-third that of aluminum, copper has a key role in making modern life possible. The red metal is found in virtually every wire, motor, and electrical appliance in our homes and offices. It’s also critical for various renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles.

Technology and Precious Metals

Technology is only as good as the materials that make it.

Technology metals can be classified as relatively rare metals commonly used in technology and devices. While miners produce some tech and precious metals in large quantities, others are relatively scarce.

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Metal	Quantity Mined in 2019 (tonnes)	% of Total
Tin	305,000	23%
Molybdenum	275,000	21%
Rare Earth Elements	220,000	16%
Cobalt	123,000	9%
Lithium	97,500	7%
Tungsten	91,500	7%
Vanadium	81,000	6%
Niobium	57,000	4%
Cadmium	27,500	2%
Tantalum	27,000	2%
Total	1,335,848	100.00%

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Tin was the most-mined tech metal in 2019, and according to the International Tin Association, nearly half of it went into soldering.

It’s also interesting to see the prevalence of battery and energy metals. Lithium, cobalt, vanadium, and molybdenum are all critical for various energy technologies, including lithium-ion batteries, wind farms, and energy storage technologies. Additionally, miners also extracted 220,000 tonnes of rare earth elements, of which 60% came from China.

Given their rarity, it’s not surprising that gold, silver, and platinum group metals (PGMs) were the least-mined materials in this category. Collectively, these metals represent just 2.3% of the tech and precious metals mined in 2019.

A Material World

Although humans mine and use massive quantities of metals every year, it’s important to put these figures into perspective.

According to Circle Economy, the world consumes 100.6 billion tonnes of materials annually. Of this total, 3.2 billion tonnes of metals produced in 2019 would account for just 3% of our overall material consumption. In fact, the world’s annual production of cement alone is around 4.1 billion tonnes, dwarfing total metal production.

The world’s appetite for materials is growing with its population. As resource-intensive megatrends such as urbanization and electrification pick up the pace, our material pie will only get larger.

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#15 Crystal piano (Image 1 of 15)

This crystal grand piano by Heintzman was auctioned and purchased by a private bidder for $3.22 million! The piano was played by renowned pianist Lang Lang during the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

 

#14 Susse Freres camera (Image 2 of 15)

This antique Susse Freres daguerreotype camera dates back to 1839 and was sold at auction in 2007 for $775,000! It is believed to be the oldest commercial camera in the world!

 

 

#13 Diamond chess set (Image 3 of 15)

This hand-made chess set features 9900 black and white diamonds and is set in 14-carat white gold. It was designed by Bernard Maquin and is part of the Charles Hollander Collection. The set weighs a total of 186.09 carats!

 

 

#12 The Picasso (Image 4 of 15)

In 2004, "Garçon à la pipe" -- a 1905 painting by Pablo Picasso -- became the most expensive Picasso painting ever sold when it fetched a whopping $104.2 million when it was auctioned at Sotheby's in New York.

 

 

#11 The Villa La Leopolda (Image 5 of 15)

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#10 The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (Image 6 of 15)

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#9 The Card Players (Image 7 of 15)

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#8 The magnetic floating bed (Image 8 of 15)

Though the most expensive piece of furniture is an antique, the magnetic floating bed that debuted in 2006 is arguably the coolest bed in the world. The bed floats 1.3 feet off the floor while holding 2,000 pounds of weight and costs $1.6 million.

 

 

#7 The 201-carat Chopard watch (Image 9 of 15)

The world's most expensive timepiece is a flashy watch by Chopard adorned with three heart-shaped diamonds and another 163 carats of white and yellow diamonds -- bringing the weight to a whopping 201 carats. The spring-loaded mechanism allows the hearts to open up for the wearer to see a diamond studded watch face. In 2000, the watch was sold for $25 million.

 

 

#6 The Badminton Cabinet (Image 10 of 15)

In 2004, an antique 18th century chest was sold at auction for $36.7 million. The ebony cabinet stands over 12 feet tall and features an intricate design of polished stones. The chest was commissioned by Henry Somerset, the third Duke of Beaufort, when he was 19 years-old. The piece took six years to create and is the result of the toil of thirty experts.

 

 

#5 The Birkin (Image 11 of 15)

In 2011, a red crocodile 30 cm size Hermes Birkin bag with 18 carat white gold and diamond hardware was sold at a public auction in Dallas for $203,150. The average new Birkin costs around $8,000 -- that is, if you have the patience and funds to stand the long waiting list.

#4 The Wallis Simpson bracelet (Image 12 of 15)

In 2010, the onyx and diamond panther bracelet that was once owned by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor and most famous American for whom King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry, was auctioned at Sotheby's in London for $12.4 million.

 

 

#3 That dead shark (Image 13 of 15)

In 2004, "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" -- an artwork consisting of a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde inside a vitrine -- by artist Damien Hirst was reportedly sold to hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen for a rumored figure of $8 million (though others have suggested $12 million). The taxidermy shark was initially preserved poorly and had to be replaced in 2007.

 

 

#2 The Perfect Pink (Image 14 of 15)

In 2010, a rectangular-cut pink diamond ring weighing 14.23 carats -- a rarity for pink diamonds -- was purchased by an anonymous buyer at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong for $23.2 million. The lot was called "The Perfect Pink".

 

 

#1 The Antilla (Image 15 of 15)

The most expensive home to date is a 27-story tower called "Antilla" in Mumbai that belongs to the head of a Mumbai-based petrochemical giant . The $1 billion home features 400,000 square feet of interior living space and features three helipads and parking space for 168 cars.