Top 12 Lead Producing Countries in the World

Published on May 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm by Ramish Cheema in Business, Lists, News

In this piece, we will take a look at the top 12 lead producing countries in the world.

Lead is one of the more controversial metals that has contributed significantly to civilization and caused a lot of harm as well. The fact that lead is one of the softest metals and breaks rather easily also makes it potentially one of the oldest metals to be extracted from ores – and some books believe that this history dates back to thousands of years before the birth of Christ. Over time, its easy to use features also made it one of the most popular metals in the Roman Empire – which built its piping and plumbing systems with it and also cooked a lot of dishes and made wine in lead pots. Naturally, this excessive use of the toxic material also led to poisoning in the Romans – and some historians believe that lead might also have been a contributing factor to Rome’s decline.

In the modern era, perhaps the biggest scare caused by lead came from gasoline. Lead was used as an anti-knocking agent to prevent incorrect engine operations. At the time, the harmful effects of lead were not known. However, soon, these effects became readily known, as almost 80% of Americans were reported to have higher than normal blood lead levels. This led to a phasing out of leaded gasoline and other anti-knocking agents were added. This phase-out resulted in an accumulation of benefits over the next couple of decades, with the United Nations reporting in 2011 that the cumulative elimination of leaded gasoline in developing countries has led to a whopping $2.4 trillion in annual benefits – while also leading to 1.2 million fewer premature deaths and higher levels of human intelligence. The latter benefit also shows another harmful effect of lead, since a higher level of the metal leads to more aggression and mood instability in children.

The global lead market was worth $16.74 billion in 2022 and is expected to sit at $19.07 billion by the end of this year, reflecting a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% according to research from The Business Research Company. The research firm adds that the industry, like others, was also impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 due to the disruption in global supply chain. Looking ahead, the industry is slated to grow at a CAGR of 16.7% to sit at $35.37 billion by the end of 2027. A toxic material feared by many is still expected to increase its growth rate in the future – sounds counterintuitive on the surface. However, once again, human progress is to blame for this growth, as the rising economies of India and China are expected to drive up the demand for the heavy metal.

In terms of lead prices, 2022 was a choppy year. During Q1 2022, the metal was trading at above $2,000 per metric ton; however, this dropped to below the level in the latter half as market dynamics came into play. These dynamics were influenced by new taxes in China, which have a strong influence on secondary lead production. These taxes reduced the secondary output of the material — smelting — even as primary production from mines grew. This changed overall market dynamics, and created a glut and a shortage at the same time. The market somewhat stabilized as car production rebounded after a historic semiconductor shortage last year cleared up. Finally, global lead supply is expected to sit at 4.68 million metric tons this year, while its price per metric ton is slated to sit at $1,924 by the end of this year.

Narrowing our focus down to America, one of the biggest users of lead in America is the lead battery industry. Estimates from the International Lead Association show that this industry generates $26.3 billion in revenue and employs 25,000 people. The U.S. consumes 1.6 million tons of lead each year, and 90% of this consumption is for batteries. Lead is also one of the most recycled products in America. However, lead recycling is still insufficient to keep up with demand. Demand for lead batteries is also anticipated to grow by 2030 – from 415 Gwh in 2020 to 490 Gwh in 2030. One of the biggest lead miners in the U.S. is the private firm The Renco Group. The firm operates some of the largest lead mines in America.

With these details in mind, let’s take a look at some of the world’s top lead producing countries.

Top 12 Lead Producing Countries in the World

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Our Methodology

To compile our list of the world’s largest lead producing countries, we used data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS)’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 – Lead report. The list shares data for both mine production and lead reserves. The 12 largest lead producing countries in the world are listed below.

Top 12 Lead Producing Countries in the World

12. Republic of Kazakhstan

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 40,000

The Republic of Kazakhstan is a European and Asian landlocked country. It has a $596 billion GDP and a GDP per capita of $30.827. Kazakhstan’s largest lead mining company is Kazzinc, which is a subsidiary of the Swiss global mining giant Glencore plc. The country produced forty thousand metric tons of lead in 2021, and it has two million tons of lead reserves. While Kazakhstan ranks low in our list of the world’s biggest lead producing countries, it has the tenth largest lead reserves in the world.

11. Republic of Tajikistan

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 46,000

The Republic of Tajikistan is another landlocked Central Asian country. It has one of the smallest economies in the world. which stands at $47 billion in purchasing power parity terms. This also lends Tajikistan a relatively low GDP per capita of $4,803. It is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of minerals, having dozens of different types of minerals. Most of Tajikistan’s lead and zinc reserves are in the Karamazarskiy district.

10. Republic of Türkiye

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 60,000

The Republic of Türkiye is an Asian and European country with a rapidly developing economy. Türkiye’s economy is worth $3.5 trillion in purchasing power parity terms, making it among the top fifteen economies in the world. It has a GDP per capita of $41,412. While its rapid industrialization makes Türkiye the tenth largest lead producing country in the world, it has the lowest total reserves on our list which stand at 860 metric tons. One of Türkiye’s major lead mining companies is San Eczacibaşi Endüstriyel Hammaddeler San. ve Tic. A.Ş.

9. Kingdom of Sweden

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 70,000

The Kingdom of Sweden is one of the most developed countries in the world. It has a $712 billion GDP and a high GP per capita of $65,842. Sweden is one of Europe’s leading metal producers. Data shows that it produced 32.8% of the European Union’s lead in 2020 – and nearly all of its iron. Sweden had Europe’s largest lead mine until 2001, during which time it produced sixty metric tons of the metal. According to the USGS, Sweden has 1.1 million tons of lead reserves.

8. Plurinational State of Bolivia

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 90,000

The Plurinational State of Bolivia is a South American land locked country. It has a $118 billion economy and a GDP per capita of $9,933. One of Bolivia’s largest mining facilities, the San Cristóbal mining complex, is also responsible for producing lead along with other metals such as zinc. San Cristobal is operated by one of the world’s largest mining companies, the Japanese firm Sumitomo Corporation. Bolivia is also rapidly growing its lead production, which grew to ninety thousand metric tons in 2021 from 65,000 in 2020 – or by 38.4%.

7. Republic of India

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 210,000

The Republic of India is the world’s second largest country in terms of population, and the third largest economy in the world in purchasing power parity. The Indian economy is worth $13 trillion, and it has a GDP per capita of $9,073. India is also one of the world’s oldest users of lead, with the first mention of the metal surfacing from 400 BC. Most of India’s lead deposits are in Rajasthan, and within the state, the cities of Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Ajmer, and Sirohi play crucial roles.

6. Russian Federation

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 210,000

The Russian Federation, or Russia, is a global powerhouse in the natural resources market as it produces large amounts of natural gas. While Russia’s lead production equals India’s production, it has considerably larger deposits. According to the USGS, Russia has four million metric tons of lead reserves in 2021. One of Russia’s largest lead mines is the Ozyormy mine.

5. United Mexican States

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 270,000

In the south of the United States of America is the United Mexican States, also known as Mexico. Mexico has a large land border with the U.S., which leads to a strong trading relationship between the countries. In addition to being the fifth largest producer of lead in the world, having produced 270,000 metric tons, it has the fifth largest lead reserves in the world which stand at 5.6 million tons.

4. Republic of Peru

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 280,000

The Republic of Peru is a South American country with a $556 billion GDP and a GDP per capita of $16,132, both in purchasing power parity terms. Peru has been among the top five lead producing countries in the world for two decades. At the same time, the country has the fourth largest lead reserves in the world, which stood at 6.4 million tons as of 2021. Some of Peru’s largest lead producing companies are Volcan Compañía Minera S.A.A. and Empresa Minera Los Quenuales S.A.

3. United States of America

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 300,000

The United States of America is the world’s largest economy in nominal terms, the only superpower, and one of the most technologically advanced nations on the planet. America produced three hundred thousand metric tons of lead in 2021, as well as 990 thousand from secondary sources such as scrap yards. Some of America’s largest mines are located in Missouri and Alaska. Most of America’s lead is used in battery production, and as its secondary lead production suggests, it also has a vast number of scrap facilities as well. The U.S. also has the fourth highest lead reserves in the world, which sit at five million tons.

2. Commonwealth of Australia

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 500,000

The Commonwealth of Australia is an Oceanic country and a highly developed region. It is also a global mining powerhouse and leads the world in producing several minerals. There are several lead mines in Australia, and it was also the first metal to be mined in the country with the first production taking place in 1841. Australia’s largest operating mines are located in the Northern regions of the country, and one of its oldest mines is the Broken Hills mine located in South Australia. It also exports large quantities of lead to the United Kingdom and South Korea.

1. People’s Republic of China

Lead Mine Production in 2021 in metric tons: 2,000,000

The People’s Republic of China is the world’s largest lead producer, having churned out a massive two million metric tons of lead in 2021. Therefore, a large portion of the world’s mines are in China and some of the largest are located in Guangdong and Henan.

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