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The Spanish mining industry has experienced significant ups and downs over the past decades. Despite this, the substantial reserves of minerals such as copper, aluminum, or tungsten (considered strategic or critical minerals) within the national territory have helped the sector's survival. However, the top two positions in the ranking of mineral raw materials by production volume are still held by two classics: gypsum and salt.

Autonomous communities leading in mining production

Andalusia has the highest number of mining operations of any autonomous community in the country, with a total of ***, followed by Castilla y León and Catalonia. Together, these three autonomous communities account for more than ** percent of the total number of mining operations in Spain. It is worth highlighting the dominance of quarry products in all of them over other mining options; a fact that is not surprising considering that more than ** percent of the country's mining operations are dedicated to this purpose.

Despite everything, a major importer

Even with all its resource wealth, Spain is currently a major importer of mineral raw materials, especially energy products and non-metallic minerals. Only non-metallic minerals seem to provide some relief to the trade balance—at least in 2021—a year in which *** million more tons of these materials were exported than imported.