Ranked: The World’s Largest Lithium Producers in 2023
May 24, 2024

By  Graphics/Design: Sam Parker

The World’s Largest Lithium Producers in 2023


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Three countries—Australia, Chile, and China—accounted for 88% of lithium production in 2023.


In this graphic, we list the world’s leading countries in terms of lithium production. These figures come from the latest USGS publication on lithium statistics (published Jan 2024).


Australia Leads, China Approaches Chile


Australia, the world’s leading producer, extracts lithium directly from hard-rock mines, specifically the mineral spodumene.

The country saw a big jump in output over the last decade. In 2013, Australia produced 13,000 metric tons of lithium, compared to 86,000 metric tons in 2023.

Country Lithium production 2023E (metric tons)
🇦🇺 Australia 86,000
🇨🇱 Chile 44,000
🇨🇳 China 33,000
🇦🇷 Argentina 9,600
🇧🇷 Brazil 4,900
🇨🇦 Canada 3,400
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 3,400
🇵🇹 Portugal 380
🌍 World Total 184,680

Chile is second in rank but with more modest growth. Chilean production rose from 13,500 metric tons in 2013 to 44,000 metric tons in 2023. Contrary to Australia, the South American country extracts lithium from brine.


China, which also produces lithium from brine, has been approaching Chile over the years. The country increased its domestic production from 4,000 metric tons in 2013 to 33,000 last year.


Chinese companies have also increased their ownership shares in lithium producers around the globe; three Chinese companies are also among the top lithium mining companies. The biggest, Tianqi Lithium, has a significant stake in Greenbushes, the world’s biggest hard-rock lithium mine in Australia.


Argentina, the fourth country on our list, more than tripled its production over the last decade and has received investments from other countries to increase its output.


With all the top producers increasing output to cover the demand from the clean energy industry, especially for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, the lithium market has seen a surplus recently, which caused prices to collapse by more than 80% from a late-2022 record high.


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October 9, 2025
TORONTO, Oct. 09, 2025 - VVC Exploration Corporation, dba VVC Resources ("VVC" or the "Company") (TSX-V: VVC; OTC: VVCVF) announces that Plateau Helium Corporation ("PHC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, has completed the purchase of the Ithaca 1-17 well together with approximately five miles of associated pipeline located in Rush county, Kansas in a prolific helium, gas and oil area known as the Central Kansas Uplift (CKU). The acquisition was initiated in April 2025 and PHC took possession in July 2025. As previously disclosed in our May 30, June 26 and September 2025 MD&As, PHC has a 50% operating interest in the well. The CKU Project targets helium-rich natural gas within multiple stacked reservoirs in Rush and Pawnee Counties, Kansas, where PHC has now assembled a meaningful lease position, acquired one producing property (Ithaca 1-17) and associated gas gathering system, and identified multiple development well locations. The acquisition of an existing gas gathering system serves to lower initial development cost while expediting the time needed to commence gas/helium sales and provide cashflow. « Building on a producing asset while securing midstream capacity is a practical way to de-risk our development program in the CKU, » said Bill Kerrigan, President of VVC and PHC. « The Ithaca 1-17 well and pipeline give us a backbone to bring wells online more efficiently. » About VVC Resources VVC engages in the exploration, development, and management of natural resources - specializing in scarce and increasingly valuable materials needed to meet the growing, high-tech demands of industries such as manufacturing, technology, medicine, space travel, and the expanding green economy. Our portfolio includes a diverse set of multi-asset, high-growth projects, comprising: Helium & industrial gas production in western U.S.; Gold & associated metals operations in northern Mexico; and Strategic investments in carbon sequestration and other green energy technologies. VVC is a Canada-based, publicly-traded company on the TSXV (TSX-V:VVC). To learn more, visit our website at: www.vvcresources.com.  Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
September 29, 2025
VVC announces its strategic development of the Central Kansas Uplift ("CKU") Project, an initiative being advanced through VVC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Plateau Helium Corporation ("PHC").
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