1. Chile:
With its vast reserves and biodiversity, Chile is crowned the top spot in copper production. According to International Copper Study Group (ICSG), Chile produced almost 5.7 million metric tons of copper in 2024, which accounts for roughly 28% of global production. Chile’s largest copper mines include Escondida, Collahuasi, and Los Pelambres.
2. Peru:
Second on the list is Peru, contributing substantially to the global copper output. ICSG reported that Peru extracted approximately 2.4 million metric tons of copper in 2024. Its most abundant copper reserves are within the Southern Copper Corporation’s Toquepala and Cuajone mine complex and the Antamina mine.
3. China:
China, the largest consumer of copper, is also its third-largest producer. China produced around 1.7 million metric tons of copper in 2024. Predominantly, Chinese copper production comes from Jiangxi Copper Corporation, Daye Non-ferrous Metals and China Minmetals Corporation.
4. USA:
The USA is home to several sizeable copper mines, contributing over 1.3 million metric tons of copper in 2024. The Morenci mine in Arizona is the largest copper mine in North America, operated by Freeport-McMoran.
5. Congo (DRC):
Despite political instability and legal uncertainties, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) generated about 1.2 million metric tons of copper in 2024. The main contributors are mines run by Glencore, China Molybdenum and Ivanhoe Mines.
6. Australia:
Australia boasts a rich diversity of minerals, among which copper holds a significant position. In 2024, it produced over 910,000 metric tons of copper. Its prominent mines include BHP’s Olympic Dam and Newcrest’s Cadia mine.
7. Russia:
In 2024, Russia contributed around 900,000 metric tons of copper to the global production. Contributing significantly to this figure are Norilsk Nickel, one of the world’s leading copper producers and the Udokan Copper Project, which is one of the largest untapped copper reserves in the world.
8. Zambia:
Africa’s second-largest copper producer is Zambia, producing 790,000 metric tons of copper in 2024. Key players contributing to Zambia’s copper mine production are primarily foreign companies including First Quantum and Vedanta Resources.
9. Canada:
In 2024, Canada produced about 700,000 metric tons of copper. The Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia, operated by Copper Mountain Mining Corporation, and the Highland Valley Copper mine, owned by Teck Resources, are notable contributors to Canada’s copper production.
10. Mexico:
Rounding up this list is Mexico, with a copper production of nearly 690,000 metric tons in 2024. Mexico’s dominant copper producer is Grupo Mexico, which operates the largest copper mine in the country – the Buenavista mine.
The prosperous copper industry will likely to continue to grow in leaps and bounds, as developing nations increase their demand for copper in their booming industries. With exploration of new mines and innovative mining techniques, the hierarchy of top producers might change in the near future. However, as of 2024, these are the dominant players in the global copper production.
