18 materials shown. Production and reserves are USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · 2025 estimates, contained metal or gross weight as the source defines for each commodity · source ↗
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Material | Shelf | World production 2025 | World reserves | Leading producer | U.S. imported | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerium critical The most abundant rare earth — more common in the crust than copper — mostly used as a… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Ce |
| Dysprosium critical A heavy rare earth added in small amounts to magnets so they keep working when they get hot. | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Dy |
| Erbium critical The rare earth that amplifies light inside a fibre-optic cable without ever turning it back… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Er |
| Europium critical The rare earth that glows red under ultraviolet light, and which for decades put the red in… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Eu |
| Gadolinium critical A rare earth that absorbs neutrons better than almost anything, and that makes MRI scans easier… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Gd |
| Holmium critical The rare earth with the strongest magnetic moment of any element, used in the pole pieces of… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Ho |
| Lanthanum critical The first of the rare earths, used by the tonne in the catalysts that crack crude oil into… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | La |
| Lutetium critical The last and densest rare earth, used in the crystals that detect gamma rays inside a PET… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Lu |
| Neodymium critical The rare earth at the heart of the strongest magnet ever made — the kind in headphones, hard… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Nd |
| Praseodymium critical Neodymium's near-twin, so alike that magnet makers usually do not bother separating the two and… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Pr |
| Promethium The one rare earth with no stable form at all — every atom of it is radioactive and decays… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Pm |
| Rare Earths (all) critical A family of seventeen metals that are not actually rare in the ground, but are hard to separate… | Rare Earth Elements | 390,000metric tons · Mine production | 85,000,000 | — | — | |
| Samarium critical The rare earth in the magnet that works where neodymium cannot: very hot, or very cold, or in a… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Sm |
| Scandium critical A light metal that makes aluminium dramatically stronger and weldable — and which is produced… | Rare Earth Elements | 80.00metric tons · global production | — | China — NA% of world production | 100% | Sc |
| Terbium critical The scarcest of the four magnet rare earths, used in tiny quantities to make a magnet survive… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Tb |
| Thulium critical The least abundant stable rare earth, used in portable X-ray sources and in surgical lasers. | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Tm |
| Ytterbium critical A rare earth used in the fibre lasers that cut steel in factories, and in some of the most… | Rare Earth Elements | not published | — | — | — | Yb |
| Yttrium critical Counted as a rare earth even though it sits elsewhere on the periodic table, because it behaves… | Rare Earth Elements | 12,500metric tons · mine production of Y2O3 equivalent contained in rare-earth mineral concentrates | — | China — NA% of world production | 100% | Y |
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Cerium
The most abundant rare earth — more common in the crust than copper — mostly used as a polishing powder and in…
Dysprosium
A heavy rare earth added in small amounts to magnets so they keep working when they get hot.
Erbium
The rare earth that amplifies light inside a fibre-optic cable without ever turning it back into electricity.
Europium
The rare earth that glows red under ultraviolet light, and which for decades put the red in every colour television.
Gadolinium
A rare earth that absorbs neutrons better than almost anything, and that makes MRI scans easier to read.
Holmium
The rare earth with the strongest magnetic moment of any element, used in the pole pieces of the most powerful…
Lanthanum
The first of the rare earths, used by the tonne in the catalysts that crack crude oil into petrol.
Lutetium
The last and densest rare earth, used in the crystals that detect gamma rays inside a PET scanner.
Neodymium
The rare earth at the heart of the strongest magnet ever made — the kind in headphones, hard drives, wind turbines and…
Praseodymium
Neodymium's near-twin, so alike that magnet makers usually do not bother separating the two and sell them together as…
Promethium
The one rare earth with no stable form at all — every atom of it is radioactive and decays away, so essentially none…
Rare Earths (all)
A family of seventeen metals that are not actually rare in the ground, but are hard to separate from each other because…
Samarium
The rare earth in the magnet that works where neodymium cannot: very hot, or very cold, or in a place that must not…
Scandium
A light metal that makes aluminium dramatically stronger and weldable — and which is produced in tonnes per year…
Terbium
The scarcest of the four magnet rare earths, used in tiny quantities to make a magnet survive high temperature.
Thulium
The least abundant stable rare earth, used in portable X-ray sources and in surgical lasers.
Ytterbium
A rare earth used in the fibre lasers that cut steel in factories, and in some of the most accurate atomic clocks ever…
Yttrium
Counted as a rare earth even though it sits elsewhere on the periodic table, because it behaves like one and is found…