Bauxite - Production, Reserves & Supply Concentration
The principal ore used to make alumina, which is then smelted into aluminum.The tables cover bauxite mine production, alumina refinery output and bauxite reserves as separate series.
Bauxite Global Production & Country Share
Measure: Bauxite, mine production (thousand metric dry tons)
Bauxite Production by Country (2020-2025)
Bauxite, mine production · Unit: thousand metric dry tons
| Rank | Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025e | Share | 5Y Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Guinea | 86,000 | 86,000 | 100,000 | 97,000 | 142,000 | 150,000 | 34.1% | +74.4% |
| #2 | Australia | 104,000 | 103,000 | 102,000 | 98,000 | 100,000 | 97,000 | 22.0% | -6.7% |
| #3 | China | 92,700 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 93,000 | 80,500 | 87,000 | 19.8% | -6.1% |
| #4 | Brazil | 31,000 | 33,000 | 30,000 | 31,000 | 33,000 | 33,000 | 7.5% | +6.5% |
| #5 | India | 20,200 | 17,400 | 24,000 | 23,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 5.7% | +23.8% |
| #6 | Indonesia | 20,800 | 21,000 | 21,000 | 20,000 | 9,900 | 10,000 | 2.3% | -51.9% |
| #7 | Jamaica | 7,550 | 5,950 | 4,370 | 6,000 | 5,890 | 6,200 | 1.4% | -17.9% |
| #8 | Russia | 5,570 | 5,680 | 5,780 | 5,800 | 5,470 | 5,700 | 1.3% | +2.3% |
| #8 | Saudi Arabia | 4,310 | 4,780 | 4,800 | 4,600 | 5,500 | 5,700 | 1.3% | +32.3% |
| #10 | Kazakhstan | 5,000 | 4,370 | 4,400 | 4,300 | 4,780 | 4,800 | 1.1% | -4.0% |
| #11 | Türkiye | - | - | 2,800 | 2,000 | 3,660 | 3,800 | 0.9% | - |
| #11 | Vietnam | 3,500 | 3,830 | 3,900 | 3,700 | 3,710 | 3,800 | 0.9% | +8.6% |
| #13 | Greece | - | - | 1,200 | 1,200 | 970 | 960 | 0.2% | - |
| - | World Total | 391,000 | 384,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 | 428,000 | 440,000 | 100.0% | +12.5% |
Bauxite Proven Reserves by Country (2025)
Basis: Bauxite reserves · Unit: thousand metric dry tons · Global Implied Reserve Life: 65.9 years
| Rank | Country | Reserves (thousand metric dry tons) | World Share | USGS Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Guinea | 7,400,000 | 25.5% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #2 | Australia | 3,700,000 | 12.8% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. - For Australia, Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant or equivalent reserves were 1.7 billion tons. |
| #3 | Vietnam | 3,100,000 | 10.7% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #4 | Indonesia | 2,900,000 | 10.0% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #5 | Jamaica | 2,000,000 | 6.9% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #6 | Brazil | 1,700,000 | 5.9% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #7 | China | 710,000 | 2.4% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #8 | India | 650,000 | 2.2% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #8 | Russia | 650,000 | 2.2% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #10 | Saudi Arabia | 180,000 | 0.6% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #11 | Kazakhstan | 160,000 | 0.6% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #12 | Türkiye | 69,000 | 0.2% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| #13 | United States | 20,000 | 0.1% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
| - | World Total Reserves | 29,000,000 | 100.0% | See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. |
U.S. Supply, Consumption & Net Import Reliance (2021-2025)
| Salient Measure | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025e |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bauxite: Production, mine | thousand metric dry tons | W | W | W | W | W |
| Bauxite: Imports for consumption | thousand metric dry tons | 3,880 | 3,630 | 3,160 | 2,920 | 3,000 |
| Bauxite: Exports | thousand metric dry tons | 13 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 74 |
| Bauxite: Consumption: Apparent | thousand metric dry tons | W | W | W | W | W |
| Bauxite: Consumption: Reported | thousand metric dry tons | 2,790 | 2,170 | 2,050 | 1,640 | 1,700 |
| Alumina: Production, refinery | thousand metric dry tons | 1,000 | 920 | 850 | 700 | 710 |
| Alumina: Imports for consumption | thousand metric dry tons | 1,550 | 1,880 | 1,360 | 1,340 | 1,900 |
| Alumina: Exports | thousand metric dry tons | 180 | 174 | 139 | 145 | 130 |
| Alumina: Consumption, apparent | thousand metric dry tons | 2,410 | 2,640 | 2,080 | 1,900 | 2,500 |
| Bauxite: U.S. Net Import Reliance | % of consumption | >75% | >75% | >75% | >75% | >75% |
| Alumina: U.S. Net Import Reliance | % of consumption | 58% | 65% | 59% | 63% | 71% |
Frequently Asked Questions - Bauxite
Which country leads alumina production (alumina, refinery production)?
China leads the 2025 USGS country table for alumina, refinery production, with 93,000 thousand metric dry tons (estimated) (62.0% of the reported world total). World output was 150,000 thousand metric dry tons in 2025.
Which country leads bauxite production (bauxite, mine production)?
Guinea leads the 2025 USGS country table for bauxite, mine production, with 150,000 thousand metric dry tons (estimated) (34.1% of the reported world total). World output was 440,000 thousand metric dry tons in 2025.
Which country holds the largest reported bauxite reserves?
Guinea ranks first in the USGS reserve table, with 7,400,000 thousand metric dry tons (Bauxite reserves) (25.5% of the reported world total) against a reported world total of 29,000,000 thousand metric dry tons.
What is US net import reliance and import sourcing for bauxite?
In 2025, US net import reliance was reported at >75% (Net import reliance as a percentage of apparent consumption). Across 2021-24, leading US import sources (Bauxite) were Jamaica (60%), Türkiye (16%), Guyana (9%).
How is bauxite classified on the US Critical Minerals List and what are its primary uses?
Status: Principal feedstock (Aluminum listed) (Feedstock chapter). Primary applications cited in USGS summaries include: Primary ore feedstock for alumina refineries and downstream aluminum metal production, plus refractories and abrasives. Bauxite is mined as crude ore, refined via the Bayer process into alumina (Al₂O₃), and then smelted into primary aluminum. USGS reports bauxite mine output and alumina refinery output as separate series in the same chapter.