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Democratic Republic of the Congo - Critical Mineral Production & Reserves

Statistical profile of Democratic Republic of the Congo's critical mineral output across 5 quantified mineral chapters in the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries (2020-2026). Democratic Republic of the Congo holds 2 #1 global production ranks and 5 top-three global production ranks.

I. Covered Minerals 5 Quantified USGS chapters

II. #1 Global Ranks 2 2025 world output leader

III. Top-3 Global Ranks 5 Among top 3 world producers

IV. Highest World Share 74.2% Cobalt (Mine production)

TABLE 1 · MULTI-YEAR EXTRACTION & REFINING LEDGER

Democratic Republic of the Congo Critical Mineral Production & World Shares (2020-2025)

Mineral & Stage	Unit	2020	2022	2024	2025e	Share	Rank
Cobalt Mine production	metric tons	98,000	144,000	226,000	230,000	74.2%	#1
Tantalum Mine production	metric tons	780	890	1,270	1,300	52.0%	#1
Copper Mine production	thousand metric tons	1,600	2,350	2,990	3,200	13.9%	#2
Copper Refinery production	thousand metric tons	1,600	2,350	2,990	2,800	9.7%	#2
Tin Mine production	metric tons	17,300	18,600	26,000	27,000	9.3%	#5
Niobium Mine production	metric tons	-	710	930	970	0.9%	#3

TABLE 2 · PROVEN GEOLOGICAL RESERVES

Democratic Republic of the Congo Reported Critical Mineral Reserves (2025)

Mineral & Reserve Basis	Unit	Reported Reserves	Share of World Reserves	Global Rank
Cobalt Reserves	metric tons	6,000,000	50.0%	#1
Copper Reserves	thousand metric tons	80,000	8.2%	#4
Tin Reserves	metric tons	91,000	-	#9

JURISDICTION Q&A

Frequently Asked Questions - Democratic Republic of the Congo

Which critical minerals does Democratic Republic of the Congo lead in global production?

Among the 2026 USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries country tables, Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks in the global top three for 5 production measures (#1 in 2), including Cobalt (mine production, rank #1, 74.2% of world total), Tantalum (mine production, rank #1, 52.0% of world total), Copper (mine production, rank #2, 13.9% of world total), Copper (refinery production, rank #2, 9.7% of world total), Niobium (mine production, rank #3, 0.9% of world total).

What critical mineral reserves are reported for Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Quantified reserve estimates reported for Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 2026 USGS release include Cobalt (6,000,000 metric tons), Copper (80,000 thousand metric tons), Tin (91,000 metric tons). Reserve definitions and assessment dates vary across reporting jurisdictions.

For which critical minerals is Democratic Republic of the Congo a major import source to the United States?

In USGS 2021-24 US import-source statistics, Democratic Republic of the Congo is a reported supplier across 2 tracked import categories, led by Niobium (Niobium and tantalum ores and concentrates: 9%), Tantalum (Tantalum ores and concentrates: 9%).