Tonnes of Gold Mined This Year
CURRENT TOTAL
Live Counter Notable Facts
(Data shown in the table is for 2025. Counter shows current estimate)
Annual Gold Production
Per Day Rate
Value at Current Prices
Understanding Tonnes of Gold Mined This Year
This counter displays the cumulative amount of gold extracted from mines worldwide throughout the year. Gold mining is a global business with operations on every continent except Antarctica, extracting gold from mines of widely varying types and scales.
In 2023, worldwide gold production stood at 3,000 metric tons, with projections suggesting continued growth to meet demand from jewelry, investment, technology, and central bank reserves. The industry expects production could surpass the 2018 record of 3,300 tonnes.
Gold mining has profound environmental impacts - modern industrial gold mining destroys landscapes and creates huge amounts of toxic waste. Due to the use of practices such as open pit mining and cyanide heap leaching, mining companies generate about 20 tons of toxic waste for every 0.333-ounce gold ring.
Global Gold Mining Overview
- China is the world's largest gold producer, accounting for around 10% of total global production. The top six producers - China, Russia, Australia, Canada, the United States, and Mexico - collectively produce about 44% of the world's gold.
- Around 31% of the world's gold production in 2022 came from three countries—China, Russia, and Australia, with each producing over 300 tonnes of the precious metal. North American production is concentrated in Nevada, which hosts the world's largest gold mining complex.
- The best estimates suggest that around 208,874 tonnes of gold has been mined throughout history, of which around two-thirds have been mined since 1950. Current annual production represents about 1.5% of all gold ever mined.
- Artisanal and small-scale gold mining accounts for 20% of global gold supply and generates approximately US$30 billion annually, but is responsible for 35% of mercury pollution, making it the largest source ahead of coal-fired power plants.
Gold Mining Terminology
- Ore Grade: Concentration of gold in ore, typically measured in grams per tonne
- Heap Leaching: Process using cyanide solution to extract gold from low-grade ore
- Doré Bar: Semi-pure alloy of gold and silver produced at mine sites
- All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC): Total cost to produce an ounce of gold including operations and sustaining capital
Top Gold Producing Countries (2025)
- China: 370 tonnes (12%)
- Russia: 330 tonnes (10.6%)
- Australia: 315 tonnes (10.2%)
- Canada: 200 tonnes (6.5%)
- United States: 170 tonnes (5.5%)
- Ghana: 150 tonnes (4.8%)
- Other countries: 1,565 tonnes (50.5%)
Gold Mining Methods
- Open-pit mining: 50% of production
- Underground mining: 38% of production
- Alluvial/Placer mining: 7% of production
- By-product mining: 5% of production
Environmental Impact Facts
- 20 tons of waste produced per gold ring
- 180 million tonnes of toxic waste annually
- 1,000 tons of mercury released yearly by artisanal mining
- Uses 140,000 liters of water per kilogram of gold
- 0.85 tonnes CO2 per ounce of gold produced
Data Sources and References
Methodology and Data Collection
Gold production data is compiled from national mining statistics, company reports, and industry associations. The World Gold Council and Metals Focus provide comprehensive annual production data verified through multiple sources.
The real-time counter calculates cumulative production based on an annual rate of 3,100 tonnes distributed evenly throughout the year, with adjustments for seasonal variations in mining operations.