What is it?
The reddish metal that carries electricity better than anything except silver, and which humans have been smelting for about 7,000 years.
Why does it matter?
Every kilowatt-hour generated has to travel down copper. Grids, motors, data centres, buildings and vehicles all compete for the same refined metal.
Deeper written sections for this material have not been published yet. Everything below is drawn straight from the source datasets and is complete.
Where it comes from in the rock
All ore minerals →These are the minerals that actually carry copper. A deposit is only an orebody if one of them is concentrated enough to pay for digging it up.
Chalcopyrite
The most important copper ore mineral on Earth. About 34% copper by weight when pure; typical ore grades are under 1%.
Bornite
A richer copper sulfide than chalcopyrite at about 63% Cu, common in the upper enriched zones of porphyry deposits.
Chalcocite
The richest common copper sulfide, near 80% Cu, formed where weathering has redeposited copper below the water table.
Malachite
An oxidised copper mineral. Leachable with acid without smelting, which is why oxide caps are mined first.
Who produces it
See it on a map →Mine production
Mine productionthousand metric tons 2025 (estimated) World total 23,000 thousand metric tons
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · Mine production is contained copper in concentrate or cathode; refinery production is finished cathode. Adding the two double-counts. · source ↗
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Country | Production | Share of world |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | 5,300 | 23.0% |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 3,200 | 13.9% |
| Other countries | 3,000 | 13.0% |
| Peru | 2,700 | 11.7% |
| China | 1,800 | 7.8% |
| Russia | 1,300 | 5.7% |
| United States | 1,000 | 4.3% |
| Zambia | 940.0 | 4.1% |
| Australia | 730.0 | 3.2% |
| Kazakhstan | 710.0 | 3.1% |
| Indonesia | 710.0 | 3.1% |
| Mexico | 690.0 | 3.0% |
| Canada | 500.0 | 2.2% |
| Poland | 410.0 | 1.8% |
| India | 23.00 | 0.1% |
| Korea, Republic of | Zero | — |
| Germany | Zero | — |
| Japan | Zero | — |
| World total | 23,000 | 100% |
Refinery production
Refinery productionthousand metric tons 2025 (estimated) World total 29,000 thousand metric tons
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · Mine production is contained copper in concentrate or cathode; refinery production is finished cathode. Adding the two double-counts. · source ↗
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Country | Production | Share of world |
|---|---|---|
| China | 14,000 | 48.3% |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 2,800 | 9.7% |
| Other countries | 2,100 | 7.2% |
| Chile | 1,700 | 5.9% |
| Japan | 1,400 | 4.8% |
| Russia | 950.0 | 3.3% |
| United States | 850.0 | 2.9% |
| India | 620.0 | 2.1% |
| Korea, Republic of | 610.0 | 2.1% |
| Germany | 610.0 | 2.1% |
| Poland | 560.0 | 1.9% |
| Kazakhstan | 500.0 | 1.7% |
| Mexico | 480.0 | 1.7% |
| Australia | 460.0 | 1.6% |
| Indonesia | 400.0 | 1.4% |
| Peru | 340.0 | 1.2% |
| Canada | 320.0 | 1.1% |
| Zambia | 270.0 | 0.9% |
| World total | 29,000 | 100% |
“Withheld” means the USGS suppressed the figure to avoid disclosing an individual company's data — it does not mean zero. Country rows do not always sum to the world total because the source rounds each figure independently and does not always break out an “other countries” line.
Who holds the reserves
Reserves
Reservesthousand metric tons 2025
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · source ↗
| Country | Reserves | Share of world |
|---|---|---|
| Other countries | 210,000 | 21.4% |
| Chile | 180,000 | 18.4% |
| Australia | 100,000 | 10.2% |
| Peru | 85,000 | 8.7% |
| Russia | 80,000 | 8.2% |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 80,000 | 8.2% |
| Mexico | 53,000 | 5.4% |
| United States | 47,000 | 4.8% |
| China | 41,000 | 4.2% |
| Poland | 33,000 | 3.4% |
| Indonesia | 21,000 | 2.1% |
| Zambia | 21,000 | 2.1% |
| Kazakhstan | 20,000 | 2.0% |
| Canada | 7,000 | 0.7% |
| India | 2,200 | 0.2% |
| Japan | Zero | — |
| Germany | Zero | — |
| Korea, Republic of | Zero | — |
| World total | 980,000 | 100% |
Price
Copper, global price
Annual averageUS$ per tonne
Basis: IMF global price of copper — grade A cathode, LME/COMEX/NYMEX average. Annual averages as published in FRED (IMF primary commodity prices) · source ↗. These are reference annual averages, not a live market quote.
annual average, cents per pound: London Metal Exchange, grade A, cash
Annual averagecents per pound
Basis: annual average, cents per pound: London Metal Exchange, grade A, cash. Annual averages as published in USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · source ↗. These are reference annual averages, not a live market quote.
annual average, cents per pound: COMEX, high-grade, first position
Annual averagecents per pound
Basis: annual average, cents per pound: COMEX, high-grade, first position. Annual averages as published in USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · source ↗. These are reference annual averages, not a live market quote.
annual average, cents per pound: U.S. producer, cathode (COMEX + premium)
Annual averagecents per pound
Basis: annual average, cents per pound: U.S. producer, cathode (COMEX + premium). Annual averages as published in USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · source ↗. These are reference annual averages, not a live market quote.
Mines that produce it
All mines →
Cerro Verde
One of the largest concentrator complexes in the world by throughput.
Chuquicamata
Historically the largest open-pit copper mine in the world by excavated volume.
Collahuasi
Among the largest copper mines by output.
El Teniente
The largest underground copper mine in the world by excavated extent.
Escondida
Consistently the largest copper mine in the world by output.
Grasberg
One of the largest copper deposits and among the largest gold deposits ever mined.
Kamoa-Kakula
One of the highest-grade large copper deposits discovered in decades.
Kamoto (KCC)
Among the world's largest cobalt producers.
Morenci
The largest copper operation in North America.
Where it is processed and refined
| Plant | Kind | Stage | Country | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATL Ningde Plants | Gigafactory | Component | China | Input |
| Gigafactory Nevada | Gigafactory | Component | United States | Input |
| Samsung Pyeongtaek Campus | Semiconductor fab | Component | South Korea | Input |
| TSMC Fab 18, Tainan | Semiconductor fab | Component | Taiwan | Input |
| Atlantic Copper Smelter, Huelva | Smelter | Processing | Spain | Input |
| Guixi Smelter | Smelter | Processing | China | Input |
| Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant | Smelter | Processing | Russia | Output |
| Port of Rotterdam Bulk Terminals | Port | Processing | Netherlands | Input |
| Wind Turbine Nacelle & Blade Plants, Jutland | Manufacturing plant | Product | Denmark | Input |
| Jinchuan Group Smelter-Refinery | Refinery | Refining | China | Output |
What it is used for
All end markets →| End market | What it does there | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Vehicles | Current collectors, motor windings, busbars and charging | Defining |
| Power Grids | Cables, windings and busbars | Defining |
| Data Centres & AI | Power distribution, busbars and network cable | Defining |
| Wind Power | Generator windings, nacelle wiring and export cable | Defining |
| Solar Power | Ribbon, wiring and inverters | Defining |
| Construction & Steel | Wiring and plumbing | Defining |
| Semiconductors | On-chip interconnect | Defining |
| Consumer Electronics | Boards, coils and wiring | Defining |
| Robotics & Automation | Motor windings and wiring | Defining |
| Hydrogen & Electrolysis | Power delivery at very high current | Defining |
| Grid Storage | Collectors and connection | Defining |
| Nuclear Power | Generator and switchyard | Important |
How much of it a technology needs
| Technology | Quantity | Quoted | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alkaline Electrolyser | 400.0–1,200 kg | per MW of capacity | Power delivery |
| Crystalline Silicon Solar Module | 2,000–4,000 kg | per MW of capacity | Wiring, ribbon and inverter |
| Direct-Drive Offshore Wind Turbine Offshore is far higher than onshore. | 3,000–8,000 kg | per MW of capacity | Generator, nacelle and array cabling |
| EV Traction Motor | 8.00–20.00 kg | per motor | Stator windings |
| HVDC Transmission Cable | 20.00–120.0 t | per km of circuit | Conductor, subsea designs at the high end |
| LFP Lithium-Ion Battery | 15.00–25.00 kg | per 75 kWh pack | Foil and busbars |
| NMC Lithium-Ion Battery | 15.00–25.00 kg | per 75 kWh pack | Foil and busbars, cell and pack only |
| PEM Electrolyser | 500.0–1,500 kg | per MW of capacity | Very high-current power delivery |
| Pressurised Water Reactor | 1,000–2,000 t | per GW of capacity | Generator, transformers and plant wiring |
| Vanadium Redox Flow Battery | 1.00–3.00 t | per MWh of storage | Stack and power conversion |
Indicative range compiled from published technology studies and chemistry; verify against a manufacturer specification before use. Run these numbers at any scale in the material calculator →
Export controls
| Country | Control | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Export ban | Bauxite (2023), copper concentrates (2023), and nickel ore (2020). ↗ |
| Laos | Export ban | Raw minerals, including copper, gold, iron, nickel, potassium, silver, and zinc (2024). ↗ |
| Morocco | Export licensing requirement | Copper (refined and alloys) and aluminum ingots (2025). ↗ |
| Tanzania | Export ban | Ore concentrates of copper, gold, nickel, and silver (2017). ↗ |
| Venezuela | Export ban | Bauxite, cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, copper, gold, rhodium, silver, and thorium (2024). ↗ |
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, table 4 — controls in effect as of January 2026, excluding controls since lifted.
Follow it across the borders
All journeys →Where a consignment of this material actually goes — every country, every custodian, and what is left behind at each step.
Chilean sulfide concentrate to Chinese cathode to a wire Chile mines the most copper in the world. China refines the most. Those are not the same sentence. Congolese oxide ore to finished cathode, without a smelter When the ore is oxide, acid will do what a smelter would otherwise have to.