Manganese
Essential for steel production as a deoxidizing and alloying element. Also a key component of lithium-manganese-oxide battery cathodes.
Where Manganese sits among tracked minerals
Share of global output from the #1 producing country, across all 20 minerals PlainCountries tracks
37.5% 13th of 20 higher than 7 of 20 tracked minerals
Top-producer share of global output, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more tracked minerals. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024 · 2023 data year
Global Production Overview
Nearby Base Metals by leader share
Next read: Zinc · All minerals
Where Manganese sits on supply concentration
Manganese is mid-pack on supply concentration here, per the figures above. Manganese is a base-metal row: large-volume industrial use means a shift at a major mine can move prices even when the metal is not geologically scarce. Essential for steel production as a deoxidizing and alloying element. Also a key component of lithium-manganese-oxide battery cathodes. 2023 global mine production ≈ 20.0 Mt.
The import-reliance figure above is a high reading on this desk, so mine geography abroad is a direct input to US supply-chain risk for Manganese. Top-five share is 90% (South Africa, Gabon, Australia, China, Ghana). Mid-concentration minerals are where #2/#3 shares still matter for scenario work.
Closest same-category neighbour by leader share: Zinc. Figures are USGS estimates for 2023 from the 2024 Mineral Commodity Summaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country produces the most Manganese?
South Africa is the world's leading producer of Manganese, accounting for approximately 38% of global mine production in 2023.
How is Manganese used?
Essential for steel production as a deoxidizing and alloying element. Also a key component of lithium-manganese-oxide battery cathodes.
What is global Manganese production?
Global mine production of Manganese was approximately 20.0 Mt in 2023, measured in thousand metric tons.
How reliant is the US on imported Manganese?
The United States imports approximately 100% of its apparent Manganese consumption, making it a strategically significant commodity for US supply chain security.
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024 (U.S. Geological Survey, National Minerals Information Center). Source: USGS National Minerals Information Center, data year 2023. Values are USGS estimates and may include revisions. US import reliance data from USGS.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.