René Muschter
Research Expert covering Industry & Mobility
Critical mineral mining in Canada - statistics & facts
As of 2022, Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy has defined a list of 31 critical minerals. For nine of those critical minerals, Canada is among the world’s top five producers. Although each country defines critical minerals slightly differently, generally they are strategic commodities that have no substitutes, that are extracted and processed in concentrated world regions, and which encompass the necessary raw materials for modern technologies such as renewable energy equipment, electronics, batteries, and electric vehicles. By extension, critical minerals are necessary to the clean energy transition as well as the digital economy. Countries have a vested interest in maintaining critical minerals in their value chains, as there are geopolitical and economic implications of not having a resilient supply. In 2022, Canada was the world’s leading producer of critical minerals based on volume when the production of both domestic mines and oversees mines owned by Canadian companies are considered.
