Nickel production in major countries 2021

In 2020, Indonesia's mines produced an estimated one million metric tons of nickel. This figure makes Indonesia the leading producer of nickel from mines worldwide.

Nickel mine production worldwide

Nickel is a lustrous, silvery-white metallic element. It is the fifth most common element on earth, however, much of this metal is located within the earth’s core and is therefore inaccessible. Primary nickel can be used as an alloy, such as ferro-nickel, produced largely in Japan and New Caledonia. In fact, one of its most popular uses is as an alloy (e.g. with chromium and other metals) to produce stainless and heat-resistant steels for use as pots, pans, kitchen sinks, etc. It can also be used as part of nickel oxides and within other chemicals. Nickel is a very versatile metal and is currently used for many different applications, such as those of industrial, military, aerospace, marine, and architectural means. In its various applications, it can often be recycled and the secondary nickel then, commonly used as supplementation to newly mined material.

The origins of the global nickel supply

Nickel is usually mined as a metal with greater than 75 percent purity through ore extraction using processes related to roasting and reduction. Nickel ore is mined in 23 countries and smelted or refined in 25 countries, globally. Mining is most prominent in the Philippines, Russia, Canada, Australia, and New Caledonia, with the average 2020 nickel price totaling approximately 13,787 U.S. dollars per metric ton. Currently, Australia has one of the world’s largest reserves at 21 million metric tons; globally, there are some 95 million metric tons.