Cobalt – Share of cobalt production obtained from copper and nickel mining

Cobalt production

Cobalt is not very abundant in the Earth’s crust and most of it is found in association with other metals, such as nickel and copper. The main sources of cobalt are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which accounts for more than half of the global production, followed by Australia, Canada, Cuba, Russia, and Zambia.  

The “cobalt belt” in Congo is a region that is home to the largest deposits of this metal in the world, but it is also an area of great poverty and labor exploitation. Cobalt is sold to intermediaries who export it to international companies, without traceability or social responsibility for the origin and impact of this mineral. 

Notes

Data from Delta Analysis U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

To download the data, click the cloud in the right corner at the bottom of the figure.

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