What does the Platinum Group Metals production data show?

Platinum Group Metals-production figures describe where the metal is mined, not where it is refined, traded, or held as reserves, much of the world's precious-metal supply moves through financial markets and recycling long after extraction. Mine output is one input into price and availability alongside central-bank activity, investment demand, and above-ground stockpiles. Production of Platinum Group Metals is highly concentrated: South Africa alone accounts for a large share of that output, so an export restriction or mine outage in the leading producer can move global availability quickly. Reported tonnages come from national geological surveys and industry returns and are revised as new figures arrive.

Platinum Group Metals is classified by the U.S. Geological Survey as a precious metal. Used in catalytic converters, hydrogen fuel cells, jewelry, and industrial catalysts. South Africa holds the majority of global PGM reserves. Global mine production in 2023 was approximately 370 metric tons. 5 countries with reported production appear in the table above, covering essentially the full global mine supply.

South Africa is the world's leading producer of Platinum Group Metals, accounting for roughly 60% of global mine output. The top three producers together control 89% of global supply and the top five hold 97%, making the market highly concentrated. Leading producers are South Africa, Russia, Zimbabwe, Canada, United States. High concentration means prices and availability can move sharply on political events, export restrictions, or mine outages in one country, which is why these production shares sit at the heart of critical-minerals policy in the United States, the European Union, and Japan.

The United States imports approximately 91% of the Platinum Group Metals it consumes, a figure the USGS publishes as "net import reliance as a percentage of apparent consumption" and updates annually. Click any country in the production table to open its full country profile, population, GDP, development indicators, and the full set of minerals it produces, so you can see the broader economic context behind the production share. All figures on this page are USGS estimates for data year 2023, released in the 2024 Mineral Commodity Summaries, and they supersede earlier preliminary estimates.