2026-10-22 · percent of global lithium mining
Australia, Chile, and China dominate lithium supply
Battery metals concentrate in a few mining jurisdictions.
Electric vehicles, phones, and grid-scale batteries all depend on lithium — and the world's mining of it is concentrated in just three countries. Australia accounts for 48% of global lithium mine production, Chile 24%, and China 18%, leaving every other nation combined with just 10%. That concentration gives a few jurisdictions outsized influence over battery costs and the pace of the energy transition.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of global lithium mining (0.1% of lithium mine production) · 1,000 cells
Context
The shares are USGS estimates of worldwide lithium mine production for 2026, published by the National Minerals Information Center through its lithium statistics pages and annual Mineral Commodity Summaries.
With nine-tenths of mining in three countries, policy changes, export rules, or operational disruptions in any one of them can move battery input costs worldwide.
The USGS lithium page pictures Nevada's Thacker Pass among its insights — a reminder that new mine supply outside the three leaders is an active storyline for buyers trying to diversify.
USGS lithium production shares.
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Credit this grid as Inagrid — https://inagrid.com/e/2026-10-22-lithium-mine
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