⛏️ Global mineral output surges as demand accelerates

A Reddit chart tracking global mining from 1960 to 2024 shows sharp growth across key resources. The data matches Our World in Data, based on USGS and BGS sources.

Lithium stands out at 240K tons in 2024, with near-vertical growth after 2015 driven by EVs and batteries. Cobalt reached 290K tons, and rare earths hit 390K tons, both rising fast on battery and electronics demand.

Copper and bauxite grew more steadily but at massive scale, with 23M tons of copper and 450M tons of bauxite in 2024.

Demand for minerals is rising at an exponential pace, especially for those tied to the energy transition.

The push to save the planet is driving deeper extraction of it.

📊 @tech