The Top 10 Nickel-Producing Countries in the World

1. Indonesia

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 1,800,000

Indonesia is by far the world’s leading producer of nickel. Not only has its production increased by more than six-fold since 2010, but it also accounted for almost half of the global nickel production last year at 1.8 million metric tons.

2. Philippines

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 400,000

The second leading nickel producer in the world is the Philippines, which produced 400,000 metric tons of nickel in 2023. Though this is an impressive number that secures the country’s spot as number two on this list, Indonesia still produced 4.5 times the amount of nickel as the Philippines.

3. New Caledonia

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 230,000

New Caledonia is a French country off the coast of Australia and the third leading nickel producer in the world. New Caledonia produced 230,000 metric tons of nickel in 2023 and depends heavily on the price of nickel for its economic prosperity. While its nickel production has fluctuated over the recent years, the country has achieved a major increase within the last year.

4. Russia

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 200,000

Still maintaining its place on this list, Russia has experienced a consistent decrease in nickel production over the last few years, and this has only continued in 2023. Even so, Russia is the fourth leading country in nickel production, with 200,000 metric tons of nickels produced last year.

5. Canada

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 180,000

Canada comes in at number five of the top nickel-producing countries and saw increased nickel production over the last year. Canada produced 180,000 metric tons of nickels in 2023, which is on par with its nickel production in 2019 and a jump from its production in 2022. Though these numbers have fluctuated over the years, Canada remains a successful contender.

6. Australia

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 160,000

Australia has increased its nickel production in the past few years and maintained its production rate in the past year. In 2023, the country produced 160,000 metric tons of nickels, making it number six on this list.

7. China

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 110,000

It’s no surprise that China is included as one of the top nickel-producing countries, as its production has been consistent over the last several years. In 2023, China produced 110,000 metric tons of nickels and has one of the world’s largest reserves.

8. Brazil

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 89,000

As number eight on the list, Brazil continues to increase its nickel production and plans to maintain this growth over the next several years. In 2023, Brazil produced 83,000 metric tons of nickels, contributing to the world’s overall production.

9. United States

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 17,000

Over the past few years, the United States’ nickel production has increased by several thousand metric tons. In 2023, the country produced 17,000 metric tons of nickels. However, this was a 1,000 metric ton decrease since 2022. Even so, it remains in the top nine nickel-producing countries.

In fact, the federal government added nickel to the U.S. critical minerals list in 2020. Nickel is known as one of the most significant minerals in the battery supply chain and is essential to the national defense of the U.S.

10. Rest of the World

2023 mine production (in metric tons): 380,000

Many other countries produce nickels at a lesser scale than those listed above. Keep in mind, however, that the rest of the world, in its entirety, produces fewer metric tons of nickels than Indonesia alone and the Philippines alone. That being said, some countries, such as Cuba and Columbia, still consistently contribute a decent amount to global nickel production.