Key points from the gold production data
- World gold mine production was an estimated 3,100 tonnes in 2022.
- China (330 tonnes), Russia (320) and Australia (320) were the largest producers, together mining 970 tonnes, about 31% of the total.
- Around 86% of all above-ground gold has been mined in the last 200 years, according to the graphic.
- South Africa dominated production for about a century after gold was found in its Witwatersrand Basin in 1886 and peaked in 1970 at more than 1,000 tonnes. By 2022 it produced 110 tonnes.
- China overtook South Africa as the world’s largest producer in 2007.
The 200 years of gold mining data in text
Title: “200 Years of Global Gold Production”. Subtitle: “Although gold mining is thousands of years old, around 86% of all above-ground gold has been mined in the last 200 years.” The chart is a streamgraph from 1820 to 2022 with one band per country plus “Rest of the World”. Band thickness shows annual production in tonnes; there is no y axis, so only the 2022 values below are printed.
| Rank | Country | 2022 estimated production (tonnes) | Share of world total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 330 | 11% |
| 2 | Russia | 320 | 10% |
| 3 | Australia | 320 | 10% |
| 4 | Canada | 220 | 7% |
| 5 | United States | 170 | 5% |
| 6 | Mexico | 120 | 4% |
| 7 | Kazakhstan | 120 | 4% |
| 8 | South Africa | 110 | 4% |
| 9 | Peru | 100 | 3% |
| 10 | Uzbekistan | 100 | 3% |
| 11 | Ghana | 90 | 3% |
| 12 | Indonesia | 70 | 2% |
| Rest of the world | 1,030 | 33% | |
| World total | 3,100 | 100% |
Smaller bands are labelled Burkina Faso, Brazil, Colombia, Tanzania and Papua New Guinea, with no values; they appear to be counted in the rest of the world figure, since the listed values add up to exactly 3,100 tonnes.
Annotations on the chart, from left to right:
- “The California Gold Rush of 1848 was the beginning of large-scale gold production in the United States.”
- “In 1886, prospectors discovered the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa, which went on to dominate global gold production for a century.”
- “The U.S. accounted for one-third of global gold production in 1900, with around 120 tonnes mined that year.”
- “Australia’s gold production recovered in the 1980s as low-grade operations became profitable due to rising gold prices.”
- “South Africa’s gold production peaked in 1970, at over 1,000 tonnes of gold.”
- “In 2007, China overtook South Africa as the world’s largest gold-producing country.”
- “Besides the 17 countries above, commercially significant quantities of gold are mined in more than 25 other countries.”
Footer: Elements logo, “Source: Our World in Data, USGS, Mudd et al. (2012), World Gold Council, CEIC Data”, elements.visualcapitalist.com.
How gold production history unfolded
Elements’ article explains that by 1855, miners in the California gold rush had extracted around $2 billion worth of gold, and that the United States, Australia and Russia were interchangeably the three largest producers until the 1890s, when South Africa took over [1]. South Africa’s 1970 peak was 1,002 tonnes, “by far the largest amount of gold produced by any country in a year” [1].
Since the 1980s, rising gold prices have spread production across many more countries. The article puts South Africa’s 2022 output at 110 tonnes, down 74% from 430 tonnes in 2000, citing mine closures, maturing assets and industrial conflict [1]. It adds that Nevada accounted for 72% of US production and that the record year for mined output was 2018, at 3,300 tonnes [1].
How much gold has been mined in total
The World Gold Council estimates that around 222,600 tonnes of gold have been mined throughout history, about two thirds of it since 1950. Because gold is virtually indestructible, almost all of it still exists, and placed together it would form a cube only about 22.6 metres on each side [2].
Notes on this infographic
- Estimates. The 2022 values are marked “2022E”, meaning estimates, and are rounded to the nearest 10 tonnes.
- Country count. The 17 countries in the callout are the 12 with values plus the five smaller labelled bands. Elements’ article says significant quantities of gold are mined in over 40 countries [1], consistent with 17 plus more than 25 others.
- Data date. 1820 to 2022. Elements first published the chart in April 2023; the post was updated on 29 December 2023 [1].
Questions about global gold production
Which country produces the most gold?
China, with an estimated 330 tonnes of gold mined in 2022, 11% of the world total of 3,100 tonnes. Russia and Australia were close behind at 320 tonnes each, and together the three mined 970 tonnes, about 31% of the total. China overtook South Africa as the world's largest gold-producing country in 2007.
How much gold is mined in the world each year?
World gold mine production was an estimated 3,100 tonnes in 2022. The record year for mined output was 2018, at 3,300 tonnes [1]. Outside the 12 countries with printed values, the rest of the world accounted for 1,030 tonnes, or 33%. The 2022 values are estimates rounded to the nearest 10 tonnes.
Why did South Africa's gold production fall?
South Africa's gold output fell to 110 tonnes in 2022, down 74% from 430 tonnes in 2000, which Elements puts down to mine closures, maturing assets and industrial conflict [1]. Its production peaked in 1970 at 1,002 tonnes, by far the largest amount of gold produced by any country in a year [1]. Gold was found in its Witwatersrand Basin in 1886.
How much gold has been mined in history?
The World Gold Council estimates that around 222,600 tonnes of gold have been mined throughout history, about two thirds of it since 1950 [2]. Because gold is virtually indestructible, almost all of it still exists, and placed together it would form a cube only about 22.6 metres on each side [2]. The graphic says around 86% of all above-ground gold has been mined in the last 200 years.
Sources
- Elements by Visual Capitalist, 200 Years of Global Gold Production, by Country, Govind Bhutada (graphics Miranda Smith). The creator’s post of this graphic.
- World Gold Council, Above-ground stock.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
