Updated on 19 October 2026. Australia is the world's largest lithium producer, with 92,000 tonnes of contained lithium in 2025, 32% of the total. It is followed by China (62,000 t) and Chile (56,000 t), according to the US Geological Survey's Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. World output, excluding the United States, grew 31% to about 290,000 tonnes.
Chile is the world's third-largest lithium producer and the country with the largest reserves, at 9.2 million tonnes. This is the full ranking of producing countries, how it changed in a year and what explains Chile's position.
Ranking of the largest lithium producing countries
The table ranks countries by estimated lithium mine production in 2025, measured in tonnes of contained lithium, the unit the USGS uses to compare hard-rock and brine sources. The United States produces lithium in Nevada but withholds its figure to protect company data.
| # | Country | 2025 production (t lithium) | 2024 production (t) | Change | 2025 share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 92,000 | 82,700 | +11% | 31.7% |
| 2 | China | 62,000 | 41,400 | +50% | 21.4% |
| 3 | Chile | 56,000 | 48,900 | +15% | 19.3% |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 28,000 | 20,000 | +40% | 9.7% |
| 5 | Argentina | 23,000 | 13,800 | +67% | 7.9% |
| 6 | Brazil | 12,000 | 10,200 | +18% | 4.1% |
| 7 | Mali | 9,400 | 770 | New producer | 3.2% |
| 8 | Canada | 5,600 | 4,820 | +16% | 1.9% |
| 9 | Portugal | 380 | 380 | 0% | 0.1% |
| — | World total (excl. US) | ~290,000 | ~222,000 | +31% | 100% |
The top four account for more than 80% of world output. The USGS revised Argentina's 2024 production upward based on company reports, and Mali's because of two new operations that started that year. Changes and shares are Energía Futura calculations based on USGS figures.
In lithium carbonate equivalent
The industry often talks in lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). One tonne of lithium equals about 5.3 tonnes of LCE. With that conversion, Chile's 2025 output is equivalent to about 298,000 tonnes of LCE, and Australia's to about 490,000.
Why Australia and China produce more lithium than Chile
Australia mines lithium from hard rock (spodumene) at seven mining operations, and China combines nine rock mines and six brine operations, according to the USGS. Chile produces all its lithium from two brine operations in the Salar de Atacama: those of SQM and Albemarle. With only two producers, Chile is the world's third-largest producer.
| Country | Main operations (USGS) | Deposit type |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 7 mining operations | Rock (spodumene) |
| China | 9 mining and 6 brine | Rock and brine |
| Chile | 2 brine operations | Brine (Salar de Atacama) |
| Argentina | 4 brine operations | Brine |
| Zimbabwe | 5 mining operations | Rock |
| Mali | 2 mining operations | Rock |
| Canada | 2 mining operations | Rock |
| Brazil | 1 mining operation | Rock |
Brine has lower production costs, but evaporation in ponds takes months and expansion depends on permits and water use. Chile's resource base is covered in lithium reserves by country.
The lithium producers that grew the most
The 2025 ranking shows production is diversifying. Mali went from 770 to 9,400 tonnes thanks to two new operations, entering straight into seventh place. Argentina grew 67%, with four brine operations in the north of the country, and China grew 50%, with new rock and brine mines. Zimbabwe rose 40% with its five mining operations.
According to the USGS, there were major capacity expansions in 2025 in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Mali, the United States and Zimbabwe, although some producers cut output or postponed projects because of low prices in the first half of the year. Namibia was temporarily removed from the list of producers due to legal uncertainty.
| Country | Tonnes added in 2025 | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| China | +20,600 | +50% |
| Australia | +9,300 | +11% |
| Argentina | +9,200 | +67% |
| Mali | +8,630 | More than 12-fold |
| Zimbabwe | +8,000 | +40% |
| Chile | +7,100 | +15% |
Chile, the country with the largest lithium reserves
Although it is the third-largest producer, Chile has the world's largest lithium reserves: 9.2 million tonnes, a quarter of a world total of about 37 million, according to the USGS. Reserves are the part of resources that can be extracted economically today.
| Country | Lithium reserves (t) | Identified resources (t) |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | 9,200,000 | 13,000,000 |
| Australia | 8,400,000 | 10,000,000 |
| China | 4,600,000 | 10,000,000 |
| Argentina | 4,400,000 | 28,000,000 |
| United States | 4,400,000 | 30,000,000 |
| Canada | 1,600,000 | 8,100,000 |
| World | ~37,000,000 | ~150,000,000 |
Bolivia has 23 million tonnes of identified resources, the second-largest figure after Argentina outside the United States, but it does not appear among significant producers and has no reserves reported by the USGS.
The difference between resources and reserves is key to reading these figures. Resources are all the lithium identified in a country; reserves are only the part that can be extracted profitably today with available technology. That is why Argentina and the United States have more resources than Chile but fewer reserves: much of their lithium still lacks projects proving it is economic to extract.
Lithium demand and prices in 2025
World lithium consumption reached about 263,000 tonnes in 2025, 20% more than in 2024, and batteries accounted for 88% of use. The rest went to ceramics and glass (4%), lubricating greases (2%) and other uses, according to the USGS.
Prices had a year of two halves. Fears of oversupply kept them low in the first half, and electric car sales in China and Europe, along with demand for storage batteries, pushed them up in the second. The average annual US contract price for lithium carbonate was US$9,000 per tonne in 2025, 31% less than in 2024.
| Lithium prices in 2025 (USGS) | January | November |
|---|---|---|
| Spot lithium carbonate in China (CIF) | ~US$9,300/t | ~US$10,300/t |
| Spot lithium hydroxide in China (FOB) | ~US$10,300/t | ~US$11,200/t |
| 6% spodumene in Australia (FOB) | ~US$800/t | ~US$970/t |
| US contract lithium carbonate (annual average) | US$9,000/t | — |
Where Chile stands among lithium producers
Chile grew 15% in 2025, less than China (+50%) and Argentina (+67%), its most direct competitors. In the US market it remains key: between 2021 and 2024, 54% of US lithium imports came from Chile and 43% from Argentina.
In 2026, the value of Chile's exports soared as prices recovered: lithium exports totalled US$4,745 million between January and September, almost triple a year earlier, as we reported in Chile's 2026 lithium exports. On top of that, the new NovaAndino Litio partnership between Codelco and SQM operates in the Salar de Atacama until 2060.
Chile is also the world's largest copper producer, the other key metal of electrification, as we show in the largest copper producing countries.
Methodology and source
The data come from the lithium chapter of the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, published in February 2026, with estimated 2025 mine production and reserves. Figures are in tonnes of contained lithium. The world total excludes the United States, whose output is confidential. Shares, changes and the conversion to lithium carbonate equivalent are Energía Futura calculations.
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See advertising optionsFrequently asked questions
Which country is the largest lithium producer?
Australia, with 92,000 tonnes of lithium in 2025, 32% of world output, according to the USGS.
Where does Chile rank in lithium production?
Third, with 56,000 tonnes in 2025, after Australia and China.
Which country has the largest lithium reserves?
Chile, with 9.2 million tonnes, followed by Australia with 8.4 million.
How much lithium is produced worldwide?
About 290,000 tonnes of contained lithium in 2025, excluding the United States, 31% more than in 2024.
How often is this ranking updated?
The USGS publishes the Mineral Commodity Summaries every year, in late January or early February. We will update this ranking on this same page with each new edition.
How to cite this data
Energía Futura (2026). Largest lithium producing countries 2026: world ranking and where Chile stands. Based on USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. Available at https://energiafutura.cl/en/news/largest-lithium-producing-countries-2026-world-ranking-chile. The cover chart may be reproduced with credit to Energía Futura and a link to this page.
