Global Lithium Production Leaders: USGS 2025 Tonnes by Country and the Companies Behind Them
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Global lithium production rose about 31% in 2025, to roughly 290,000 tonnes of contained lithium, up from 222,000 tonnes in 2024. That total excludes the United States, whose output is withheld (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Lithium). The USGS links the growth to demand for lithium-ion batteries, the high prices of 2021 to early 2023, and new capacity. Below are the countries that supplied that lithium, the companies behind the largest operations, and what their latest filings show.
Lithium production by country, 2025
USGS estimates of mine production, in tonnes of lithium content (USGS):
| Country | 2024 | 2025e | Reserves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 82,700 | 92,000 | 8,400,000 |
| China | 41,400 | 62,000 | 4,600,000 |
| Chile | 48,900 | 56,000 | 9,200,000 |
| Zimbabwe | 20,000 | 28,000 | 500,000 |
| Argentina | 13,800 | 23,000 | 4,400,000 |
| Brazil | 10,200 | 12,000 | 540,000 |
| Mali | 770 | 9,400 | 370,000 |
| Canada | 4,820 | 5,600 | 1,600,000 |
| Portugal | 380 | 380 | 60,000 |
| United States | withheld | withheld | 4,400,000 |
| World (excl. U.S.) | 222,000 | 290,000 | 37,000,000 |
Australia supplied about a third of the total, by our calculation. China overtook Chile for second place, with output up about 50%. Mali's jump reflects two operations that started in 2024. Chile holds the largest reserves, and the USGS says world measured and indicated resources total about 150 million tonnes.
The USGS counts the operations behind most of that supply: seven mineral (hard-rock) operations in Australia, four brine operations in Argentina, two brine operations in Chile, nine mineral and six brine operations in China, five mineral operations in Zimbabwe, and two mineral operations each in Mali and Canada. It also estimates that batteries took 88% of lithium use worldwide in 2025. Global consumption was about 263,000 tonnes, up 20%.
The companies behind the tonnes
PLS Group (ASX: PLS), Australia. PLS's Pilgangoora operation in Western Australia produced a record 879,543 dry tonnes of spodumene concentrate in the year to June 30, 2026, up 17% on FY25 and above guidance of 820,000–870,000 tonnes (PLS 2026 Annual Report). Unit operating costs were A$569 per dry tonne (FOB Port Hedland, excluding freight and royalties). PLS restarted its idled Ngungaju plant on July 1, 2026. Its average estimated realised price was US$2,107/t in the June 2026 quarter and US$1,488/t across FY26, against US$672/t in FY25 (PLS June 2026 quarterly).
SQM, Chile and Australia. SQM's Chilean lithium business, now called Nova Andino Litio, sold 233,100 tonnes of lithium products in 2025, up 14%. Its International Lithium Division sold an attributable 156,400 tonnes of spodumene concentrate from Mt Holland (SQM 4Q2025 earnings release). Its average realised lithium price rose nearly 14% quarter on quarter in Q4 2025, to almost US$10/kg. SQM guided to Nova Andino sales growth of more than 10% in 2026.
Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto entered lithium production by buying Arcadium Lithium in March 2025. Its share of production was 13,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in Q3 2026 and 40,300 tonnes in the first nine months, up 33% (Rio Tinto Q3 2026 operations review, Oct. 14, 2026). Weather and maintenance cut Q3 output at Olaroz and Fénix, while Sal de Vida is ramping up more slowly than planned. Rio expects 2026 production at the low end of its 61,000–64,000 tonne guidance.
Prices: off the floor
USGS data show how far prices fell. The annual U.S. contract price for battery-grade lithium carbonate averaged about US$9,000/t in 2025, down 31% from 2024 and far below the 2022 average of US$63,700 in real terms (USGS). Spot carbonate in China rose from about US$9,300/t in January 2025 to about US$10,300/t in November. Spodumene (6% Li2O) in Australia went from about US$800/t to about US$970/t. The USGS links the second-half rebound to EV sales growth in China and Europe and to demand for battery energy storage. The producer figures above, from mid-2026, suggest prices kept recovering into 2026, though lithium remains a volatile market.
Reading the table as an investor
The hard-rock and brine split matters. In the USGS count, Australia, Brazil, Mali, Zimbabwe and Canada produce from mineral (hard-rock) operations, and Chile and Argentina from brines. PLS, for example, sells spodumene concentrate priced CIF China rather than a finished chemical. Low-cost operators such as Pilgangoora kept producing through the downturn. Others, including Rio's Mt Cattlin, which has been on care and maintenance since March 2025, did not. For more coverage, see our lithium section and our company profiles.
How we checked this: AI-drafted from the sources linked above and checked against them by our AI editor.
How we produced this article
AI-drafted from cited sources and checked by an AI editor before publishing. See How we fact-check.Related stories
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