17
Elements classified as rare earth elements (REEs)
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
~70%
China's share of global REE mine production in 2023
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
130M tonnes
Global identified REE reserves (rare earth oxides equivalent)
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
1.8M tonnes
U.S. rare earth reserves — roughly 2% of global total
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
Few mineral commodities carry more strategic weight than rare earth elements. These 17 metals — the lanthanide series plus scandium and yttrium — are essential ingredients in the technologies defining the 21st century: electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, fighter jet electronics, smartphones, and LED lighting all depend on REEs. Yet their supply chain is extraordinarily concentrated: China mines approximately 70% of the world's REEs and processes an even larger share. Understanding this landscape — through verifiable statistics from the USGS Mineral Resources Program, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, and Natural Resources Canada — is essential context for anyone following minerals markets, clean energy policy, or U.S.-China trade dynamics. This page compiles 40+ data points covering production, reserves, applications, and the geopolitical risk profile of the global REE supply chain in 2026.
What Are Rare Earth Elements?
17 elements
The rare earth elements: the 15 lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) plus scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y).
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
Not actually rare
Most REEs are more abundant in Earth's crust than gold or platinum — cerium, the most common, is as abundant as copper. The "rare" refers to their low natural concentration in mineable deposits.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
LREEs vs HREEs
REEs are split into Light (LREE: La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) and Heavy (HREE: Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y). HREEs are scarcer and command higher prices.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
Bastnäsite, monazite, and xenotime are the primary REE-bearing ore minerals mined commercially. Bastnäsite (a fluorocarbonate) is the main ore at Mountain Pass, California. Monazite deposits are found in beach sands in Australia, India, and Brazil. Ion-adsorption clays in southern China are the primary source of heavy rare earth elements. — USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
Global REE Production
350,000 tonnes
Global rare earth oxide (REO) mine production in 2023, a record high driven by demand from clean energy manufacturing.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
240,000 tonnes
China's REO production in 2023 — approximately 69% of global output.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
70,000 tonnes
Australia's REO production in 2023 — the world's second-largest producer, led by Lynas Rare Earths' Mount Weld mine in Western Australia.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
130 million tonnes
Global identified REE reserves expressed as rare earth oxide equivalent.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
44 million tonnes
China's REE reserves — the largest national share at approximately 34% of global identified reserves.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
China's Market Dominance
~85–90%
China's share of global REE processing and separation capacity — creating supply chokepoints well beyond the mining stage.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
~90%
China's share of global NdFeB permanent magnet production — the critical component in EV motors and wind turbine generators.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
China's dominance is the result of deliberate industrial policy since the 1980s, accepting lower environmental standards and pricing competitors out of the market. The USGS notes that U.S. REE processing capability was almost entirely dismantled by the early 2000s due to Chinese price competition. Rebuilding that capacity is a multi-decade undertaking. — USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
2010 embargo
China restricted REE exports to Japan in 2010 during a territorial dispute — demonstrating the strategic leverage that supply concentration creates. REE prices spiked 300–500% within months.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2023
2023 export controls
China imposed export controls on gallium and germanium in 2023, and announced REE processing technology export restrictions — signaling continued weaponization of mineral supply chains.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
U.S. Rare Earth Reserves & Production
1.8 million tonnes
U.S. rare earth reserves (REO equivalent) — approximately 1.4% of global identified reserves.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
Mountain Pass, CA
The only active REE mine in the United States — operated by MP Materials, one of the world's richest REE deposits by grade.
— USGS Mineral Industry Surveys, 2024
43,000 tonnes
U.S. REO production in 2023 from Mountain Pass, representing approximately 12% of global output.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
1952
Year Mountain Pass mine began operations — it has operated intermittently, with major closures in the early 2000s and 2015 before restarting under MP Materials.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2023
Despite being one of the world's highest-grade REE deposits, Mountain Pass shipped most of its ore concentrate to China for processing until recently. MP Materials has invested in domestic separation and magnet manufacturing capabilities as part of a U.S. supply chain buildout. — USGS Mineral Industry Surveys, 2024
Identified resources
The U.S. has substantial REE resources beyond Mountain Pass — including carbonatite deposits in Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska — but most require significant development capital.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
Canada's Rare Earth Sector
830,000 tonnes
Canada's identified REE resources (REO equivalent), concentrated in carbonatite, alkalic intrusive, and placer deposits.
— Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), 2024
Thor Lake
Canada's most significant HREE deposit — located in the Northwest Territories (now branded Nechalacho), it is one of the world's largest HREE resources.
— Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), 2024
31 minerals
REEs are included on Canada's Critical Minerals List, with NRCan actively funding exploration and processing R&D through the Critical Minerals Centre of Excellence.
— Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), 2024
Applications & Demand Drivers
~83 kg REEs
Rare earth content in the permanent magnets of a typical electric vehicle motor (neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium).
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
~600 kg REEs
Rare earth content in the permanent magnet generator of a typical 3 MW offshore wind turbine.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
Neodymium & Pr
The two most in-demand REEs for permanent magnets — NdPr prices more than doubled between 2020 and 2022 before partially retracing on Chinese production increases.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024; Kitco Market Data, 2024
Defense uses
REEs are used in precision-guided munitions, radar systems, sonar, night-vision equipment, and jet engine alloys — making supply security a direct national security concern.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
Geopolitical Risk & Supply Chain Strategy
Lynas (Australia)
The largest non-Chinese REE producer globally — Lynas processes REEs from Mount Weld (WA) at its Malaysian facility and is building a processing plant in Texas for the U.S. Department of Defense.
— USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2024
Minerals Security Partnership
A U.S.-led coalition of 14 countries (including Canada, Australia, UK, Japan, EU members) launched in 2022 to coordinate critical mineral supply chain diversification away from China.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
$35 billion
Estimated U.S. government investment commitment to domestic critical mineral supply chains under the Inflation Reduction Act and Defense Production Act authorities through 2030.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
10–15 years
Estimated timeline to bring a new REE mine and processing facility from discovery to commercial production — a structural barrier to rapid supply diversification.
— USGS Mineral Resources Program, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
What are rare earth elements?
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements: the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. Despite their name, most REEs are not geologically rare — they exist in moderate concentrations in Earth's crust — but they rarely occur in concentrated, economically mineable deposits. REEs are essential for permanent magnets in EV motors and wind turbines, phosphors in LED lighting and displays, catalysts in oil refining, and numerous defense electronics applications.
How much of the world's rare earths does China produce?
China accounts for approximately 70% of global REE mine production and 85–90% of global processing capacity as of 2023. The USGS reports China produced approximately 240,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides in 2023. China's dominance extends beyond mining to separating, refining, and magnet manufacturing — creating strategic chokepoints across the entire supply chain.
Does the United States have rare earth reserves?
Yes. USGS estimates U.S. rare earth reserves at approximately 1.8 million tonnes of rare earth oxides — about 1.4% of global reserves. Mountain Pass mine in California (operated by MP Materials) is the only currently active U.S. REE mine and one of the richest deposits in the world. Additional U.S. REE resources exist in Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, and carbonatite formations across the Southeast.
What are rare earth elements used for?
REEs have critical applications across clean energy, defense, and consumer electronics. Neodymium and praseodymium are used in NdFeB permanent magnets for EV motors and wind turbines. Europium and terbium are used in phosphors for LED and display technology. Cerium is used in catalytic converters. Lanthanum is used in hybrid vehicle batteries and petroleum refining catalysts. Dysprosium improves high-temperature magnet performance in electric motors.
What is the Mountain Pass mine?
Mountain Pass, in San Bernardino County, California, is the only active rare earth mine in the United States and one of the world's richest REE deposits by grade. Operated by MP Materials, it mines bastnäsite ore rich in light rare earths — particularly cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium. The mine has operated since 1952 with periods of closure driven by Chinese price competition. MP Materials is now building domestic separation and magnet manufacturing capacity.
📎 Cite This Page
RockhoundGuide. "Rare Earth Element Statistics 2026: Supply Chain, Demand & Geopolitical Risk." RockhoundGuide.com. April 2026. https://rockhoundguide.com/stats/rare-earth-element-statistics-2026