Lithium Reserves by Country 2023

Which Country Has the Largest Lithium Reserves in the World?

The country with the largest lithium reserves in the world is actually the South American nation of Chile. Chile has 9.2 million tons of lithium in total. As a result, it is first in the list of lithium reserves by country by some distance. However, there are some other countries that have significant reserves of lithium, as well. Australia has the second-largest lithium reserves in the world with 5.7 million tons. As you can see, there is a significant difference between the size of Chile's lithium reserves and the size of Australia's lithium reserves.

Argentina and China Also Have Significant Lithium Reserves

Argentina is third in terms of the size of its lithium reserves with a total of 2.2 million tons. After Argentina, China ranks fourth in terms of the size of its lithium reserves with a total of 1.5 million tons. It is interesting to note that two of the top three countries with the largest lithium reserves are located in South America. One other country that has a decent amount of lithium reserves is the European nation of Portugal. In total, Portugal has 60,000 tons of lithium reserves.

How Much Lithium Does The USA Have?

The United States of America has plenty of natural resources. However, when it comes to lithium specifically, the US is not one of the top producers of lithium in the world. According to data from the United States Geological Survey, the United States has a total of 750,000 tons of lithium reserves.

This puts it far behind the top producers of lithium in the world. Despite this fact, the United States still has greater lithium reserves than a number of other countries. This includes the countries of Zimbabwe, Brazil, and Portugal, just to name a few.

Why Is Lithium An Important Natural Resource?

When discussing lithium reserves by country, it is also relevant to discuss the importance of lithium itself. Lithium is used in a variety of products, but it is most important for batteries. You have no doubt heard of lithium ion batteries.

Such batteries are used in many applications, including in some electric vehicles. However, lithium is also important in another way, since it is used in laptops and cell phones, as well. The demand for lithium is expected to triple by 2025, so lithium looks to remain a valuable natural resource for the foreseeable future.