Mining industry in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts

The United Kingdom is home to many natural mineral deposits, from fossil fuels such as coal, metals such as tin and copper, and industrial minerals like china clay. Even precious metals such as gold and silver can be found there. For hundreds of years, these minerals were mined up and down the British Isles, especially in England. However, the UK mining sector has declined massively over the past century.

UK fossil fuel mining

One of the most important resources in Britain’s mining history is coal. Coal helped fuel the industrial revolution and Britain’s empire in several ways, such as powering steam engines and fueling blast furnaces to turn iron ore into iron. Increasing demand meant that coal production in the UK grew rapidly, peaking at 292 million metric tons in 1913. Around that time, the number of employees in the coal mining industry was more than one million. However, due to several reasons such as rising costs, competition from abroad, and climate targets, coal production has been in decline ever since. In 2019, approximately two million metric tons of coal was produced in the UK. Currently there are just nine open-cast coal mining sites in the UK, and two underground coal sites.

The UK mining industry today

Today, mineral production in the UK comprises of mainly construction materials and industrial minerals. Large volumes of limestone and dolomite are still mined and quarried in the UK. The largest number of limestone and dolomite mining sites are located in the South West of England. This historic mining region was once a global leader in the metal mining industry in the UK, especially for tin. Although metal mining has followed a similar fate to the coal mining industry, the production of non-ferrous ores such as tungsten has seen an increase in recent years. There have been plans in recent years to reopen old tin sites for the extraction of materials for electronics. Deposits of lithium are also thought to be present in these mines, which has been gaining increasing importance as a metal used to power electric vehicles.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Combined revenue of the leading mining companies worldwide
943bn USD
Leading mining company based on market cap
BHP
Share of global coal production produced in China
46%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Value of minerals produced in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021, by select commodity (in million GBP)

Minerals

Mineral production value in the United Kingdom by type 2021

Number of mineral workings in the United Kingdom (UK) as of January 2023, by select commodity

Minerals

Number of mineral workings in the United Kingdom by commodity 2023

Mineral production in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021, by type (in 1,000 metric tons)

Minerals

Production of minerals in the United Kingdom by type 2021

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