Top 4 Largest Lithium Reserves by Country | Commodities

These within the lithium sector and investing in lithium shares are sometimes interested in which nations are the highest producers of the battery steel, however they could not stop to think about the highest lithium reserves by nation.

Main lithium-producing nations are, of course, home to a giant quantity of lithium firms. Many of the world’s high lithium producers additionally maintain important reserves, and their reserves can provide an concept of how a lot room these nations should grow. On the similar time, nations with high reserves could change into more important lithium gamers sooner or later.

Trying ahead, lithium demand is predicted to proceed growing. That’s as a result of, along with metals equivalent to cobalt, lithium is a key uncooked materials within the lithium-ion batteries used to energy electric automobiles, and it’s also important for the vitality storage sector.

“Demand for lithium-ion batteries is set to continue to grow rapidly in 2025. Benchmark forecasts that EV and ESS-related demand for lithium will both increase by over 30 percent year-on-year in 2025,” Adam Megginson, senior analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence instructed the Investing Information Community.

On that observe, right here’s an overview of lithium reserves by nation, with a deal with the 4 nations that host the world’s largest lithium deposits. Whole worldwide lithium reserves stand at 30,000,000 metric tons as of 2024. Knowledge is predicated on the newest data from the US Geological Survey. Reserves information refers to contained lithium content material.

1. Chile

Lithium reserves: 9.3 million metric tons

Chile holds the most important lithium reserves within the world at 9.3 million metric tons. The nation reportedly hosts most of the world’s “economically extractable” lithium reserves, and its Salar de Atacama area homes roughly 33 % of the world’s lithium reserve base.

Chile was the second greatest producer of lithium in 2024 at 44,000 metric tons (MT). SQM (NYSE:SQM) and Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) are the important thing lithium producers in Chile, with operations within the Salar de Atacama.

In late April 2023, Chilean President Gabriel Boric introduced plans to partially nationalize the nation’s lithium industry in a bid to bolster the economic system and defend the setting. “This is the best chance we have at transitioning to a sustainable and developed economy,” he stated on the time.

Chile’s state-owned mining company Codelco has negotiated for a lot bigger stakes in each SQM and Albemarle’s lithium belongings within the nation, and could have controlling pursuits in all operations in that salar going ahead.

In line with the Baker Institute, Chile’s strict legal framework surrounding mining concessions has hamstrung the lithium powerhouse from gaining a larger share of the worldwide lithium market comparable with this mineral largess.

In early 2025, Chile acquired seven bids for lithium operation contracts throughout six salt flats, with a key contender beign a consortium of Eramet (EPA:ERA), Chilean miner Quiborax and state-owned Codelco. The federal government will announce winners in March 2025, whereas a second bidding section has been prolonged to spice up participation.

2. Australia

Lithium reserves: 7 million metric tons

Australia’s lithium reserves stand at 7 million metric tons, the bulk of that are present in Western Australia. Not like these present in Chile and Argentina, Australia’s lithium reserves are within the kind of hard-rock spodumene deposits.

Though it’s second to Chile in reserves, Australia was the most important lithium-producing nation within the world in 2024, with many operational lithium mines within the nation.

The nation is home to the Greenbushes lithium mine, which is operated by Talison Lithium, a three way partnership comprised of lithium producers Tianqi Lithium (OTC Pink:TQLCF,SZSE:002466), Australian miner IGO (ASX:IGO,OTC Pink:IPGDF) and Albemarle. Greenbushes has been producing lithium since 1985.

A pointy decline in lithium costs has led some of the nation’s lithium firms to curtail or outright halt their lithium operations and development initiatives till market situations improve.

Whereas Western Australia dominates lithium exploration, new analysis highlights untapped potential in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Printed in “Earth System Science Data,” the 2023 examine — led by College of Sydney researchers with Geoscience Australia — maps areas with high lithium density, signaling broader alternatives for the growing battery steel market.

“We’ve developed the first map of lithium in Australian soils which identifies areas with elevated concentrations,” stated Professor Budiman Minasny. “The map agrees with existing mines and highlights areas that can be potential future lithium sources.”

3. Argentina

Lithium reserves: 4 million metric tons

Argentina ranks third in phrases of world lithium reserves at 4 million metric tons. It’s value noting that Argentina, Chile and Bolivia comprise the “Lithium Triangle,” which hosts more than half of the world’s lithium reserves. The nation can be the fourth largest lithium producer within the world, and final 12 months it put out 18,000 MT of the steel.

In Might 2022, the Argentine authorities dedicated to investing up to US$4.2 billion in its lithium industry over the subsequent three years with the aim of growing lithium output.

Extra lately, in April 2024, the federal government greenlit Argosy Minerals’ (ASX:AGY,OTC Pink:ARYMF) enlargement of its operations on the Rincon salar to raise annual lithium carbonate manufacturing from 2,000 MT to 12,000 MT.

Argentina hosts round 50 superior lithium mining initiatives, experiences Fastmarkets. “Argentina’s lithium production remains cost-competitive even in a low-price environment,” stated Ignacio Celorrio, government VP of legal and authorities affairs at Lithium Argentina.

In late 2024 mining main Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) introduced plans to invest US$2.5 billion to increase lithium extraction at its operations on Argentina’s Rincon salar, growing capability from 3,000 to 60,000 MT, with full capability reached following a three-year ramp up period starting in 2028.

4. China

Lithium reserves: 3 million metric tons

China holds lithium reserves of 3 million metric tons. The nation has a combine of deposit varieties; lithium brines make up the bulk of its reserves, nevertheless it has spodumene and lepidolite hard-rock reserves as effectively.

Final 12 months it produced 41,000 MT of the mineral, a 5,300 MT increase from the earlier 12 months. Whereas it does have important manufacturing and is working to increase it, the Asian nation presently nonetheless imports most of the lithium it wants for its battery cells from Australia.

China’s lithium utilization is high resulting from its electronics manufacturing and electric vehicle industries. It additionally produces the bulk of the world’s lithium-ion batteries and hosts most of the world’s lithium-processing amenities.

In October 2024, the US State Division accused China of flooding the market with lithium to create a low price setting to kill off ex-China competitors.

“They engage in predatory pricing… (they) lower the price until competition disappears. That is what is happening,” said Jose W. Fernandez, the US Underneath Secretary of State for Financial Development, Vitality and the Atmosphere.

In early 2025, Chinese language media reported that the nation has considerably bolstered its lithium ore reserves, claiming national deposits now account for 16.5 % of world sources, up from 6 %.

The surge is attributed partly to the invention of a 2,800 kilometer lithium belt within the western areas, with confirmed reserves exceeding 6.5 million tons of lithium ore and potential sources surpassing 30 million tons. Moreover, developments in extracting lithium from salt lakes and mica have additional expanded China’s reserves.

Different lithium reserves by nation

Whereas Chile, Australia, Argentina and China are home to the world’s highest lithium reserves, different nations additionally maintain important quantities of the steel. Right here’s a fast take a look at these different nations:

• United States — 1,800,000 MT
• Canada — 1,200,000 MT
• Brazil — 390,000 MT
• Zimbabwe — 480,000 MT
• Portugal — 60,000 MT

Because the lithium industry continues to grow, manufacturing has adopted, and lots of of these nations with high reserves have gotten important producers as effectively.

FAQs for lithium reserves

The place within the world are the best lithium reserves?

Chile has the most important lithium reserves, and the three nations that make up the Lithium Triangle — Argentina, Bolivia and Chile — collectively account for a giant portion of the world’s lithium reserves.

What are the largest lithium reserves in Europe?

Portugal has the largest lithium reserves in Europe, coming in at 60,000 metric tons. The Southern European nation produced 380 MT of lithium in 2024, the identical because the earlier 12 months.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, maintain no direct investment curiosity in any company talked about on this article.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the creator and don’t essentially mirror these of Nasdaq, Inc.