- Manganese producing countries are led by South Africa, which mines more than the next two nations combined
- Gabon and Ghana form a West African supply corridor alongside South Africa
- Australia is the only Oceania producer inside the global top four
- China ranks seventh in mine output but dominates downstream refining
- Reserve concentration in South Africa and Australia points to long production runways
Manganese producing countries form a tight geographic band, with South Africa and Gabon alone accounting for roughly two thirds of global mine output, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This ranking of the ten leading manganese producing countries is based on manganese content in mined ore, drawing on the most recent USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries data alongside secondary industry estimates for the two smaller producers at the bottom of the list. Readers new to the metal can start with our guide to manganese uses and supply before working through the country breakdown below.
How We Ranked the Top 10 Manganese Producing Countries
Entries are ordered by 2025 mine production on a manganese-content basis, the standard USGS methodology that avoids distortion from ore grade differences between countries. Where USGS does not publish an official figure, we use the most consistent secondary industry estimate available and flag it as such. Reserve figures are shown separately in the comparison table and do not affect the production ranking.
1. South Africa
South Africa produced an estimated 7.6 million tonnes of manganese in 2025, more than the next two countries combined, and holds around 560 million tonnes of reserves, the largest of any country. Output is centred on the Kalahari Manganese Field in the Northern Cape, where South32’s Wessels and Mamatwan mines and the Assmang joint venture (African Rainbow Minerals/Assore) account for most volume. The key constraint is logistics rather than geology: Transnet’s rail and port capacity out of the Northern Cape corridor has repeatedly limited how much ore producers can actually export in a given year.
2. Gabon
Gabon mined an estimated 5.0 million tonnes in 2025, second only to South Africa, from ore that ranks among the highest-grade in the world. Production is dominated by Eramet’s Comilog operation around Moanda, moved to port via the Transgabonais railway. Manganese is one of Gabon’s principal export earners, which makes single-corridor rail dependency the main operational risk: any disruption to the Transgabonais line has an outsized effect on national export volumes.
3. Ghana
Ghana produced an estimated 2.0 million tonnes in 2025, making it the largest West African producer after Gabon. The Nsuta mine in the Western Region, operated by Consolidated Minerals (Consmin), supplies most of this volume via the port of Takoradi. Ghana has scaled extraction capacity rapidly over the past several years to meet export demand, though grade decline at some of the country’s older, more established deposits is a watch item for future output.
4. Australia
Australia produced an estimated 1.6 million tonnes in 2025 and holds reserves of around 580 million tonnes, second only to South Africa and larger relative to its current production rate. The GEMCO mine on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, majority-owned by South32 with Anglo American holding the remainder, is one of the world’s lowest-cost manganese ore operations. Cyclone-related disruption to wharf and shipping infrastructure has periodically constrained export volumes, most recently affecting sales windows into the following quarter. For more on the country’s broader critical minerals position, see our Australia critical minerals hub.
5. Brazil
Brazil produced an estimated 800,000 tonnes in 2025 from reserves of around 300 million tonnes. Vale sold its Center-West manganese and iron ore assets in 2022, with the operations now run by Lhg Mining, while Buritirama Mining has committed roughly $200 million to expand its Pará state operations. Amazon-region logistics and environmental permitting timelines remain the principal constraints on scaling Brazilian output further.
6. India
India mined an estimated 790,000 tonnes in 2025, almost all of which is consumed domestically by the country’s steel industry rather than exported. State-owned MOIL Ltd is the dominant producer, with operations concentrated in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. India remains a net importer of higher-grade manganese ore and ferroalloys despite its own mine output, a structural gap tied to the grade of domestic reserves.
7. China
China’s own mine output was an estimated 700,000 tonnes in 2025, placing it seventh by extraction, but the country’s real position in the manganese market is downstream: China refines the large majority of the world’s manganese ore into ferroalloys and increasingly into battery-grade manganese sulphate. That refining base runs on imported ore, chiefly from Gabon and South Africa, which makes China’s manganese sector a processing and trade story more than a mining one. Buyers tracking landed costs into China can follow current pricing on our manganese price page.
8. Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire produced an estimated 350,000 tonnes in 2025, the smallest of the USGS-tabulated top eight but one of the fastest-growing over the past several years as new West African capacity has come online. The country’s output remains small relative to neighbouring Ghana and Gabon, but its trajectory has moved it from a marginal producer to a consistent entry in the global top ten.
9. Malaysia
Estimated, not officially tabulated by USGS. Industry estimates put Malaysian manganese ore production in a wide range depending on methodology, roughly 400,000 to 600,000 tonnes on a gross-weight basis. Malaysia’s more established position is as a ferroalloy processing hub rather than a primary ore miner, importing ore for smelting into ferromanganese and silicomanganese for export.
10. Mexico
Estimated, not officially tabulated by USGS. Mexico is generally cited as North America’s primary manganese producer, with estimates in the 150,000 to 200,000 tonne range, though figures vary by source and reporting basis. Output feeds regional steel and, increasingly, battery-precursor supply chains rather than the export market.
| Rank | Country | 2025 Production (Mn content) | Reserves | Key Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 7.6 Mt | 560 Mt | South32 / Assmang |
| 2 | Gabon | 5.0 Mt | 61 Mt | Eramet (Comilog) |
| 3 | Ghana | 2.0 Mt | 13 Mt | Consolidated Minerals |
| 4 | Australia | 1.6 Mt | 580 Mt | South32 / Anglo American (GEMCO) |
| 5 | Brazil | 0.8 Mt | 300 Mt | Lhg Mining / Buritirama |
| 6 | India | 0.79 Mt | 34 Mt | MOIL Ltd |
| 7 | China | 0.7 Mt | 260 Mt | Domestic + import-fed refining |
| 8 | Côte d’Ivoire | 0.35 Mt | N/A | Emerging producers |
| 9 | Malaysia | ~0.4-0.6 Mt (est.) | N/A | Ferroalloy processors |
| 10 | Mexico | ~0.15-0.2 Mt (est.) | N/A | Regional steel supply |
The Outlook for Manganese Producing Countries in 2026
The ranking of manganese producing countries is likely to stay stable through 2026: South Africa and Gabon’s combined reserve base gives both a multi-decade production runway, and the main swing factor for either is export logistics rather than resource availability. The more consequential shift is downstream, in China’s push into battery-grade manganese sulphate for lithium-iron-manganese-phosphate cathodes, which is reshaping demand for high-purity ore even as mine-level rankings among manganese producing countries hold steady. The IEA’s critical minerals tracking is worth watching for how battery demand growth feeds back into ore-sourcing decisions across this list.
Which country produces the most manganese?
South Africa is the largest of the manganese producing countries by a wide margin, as shown in the comparison table above.
What determines the ranking of manganese producing countries?
Countries are ranked by manganese content in mined ore, the standard methodology used by USGS, rather than by gross ore weight or refined output.
Why does China rank lower in mine production despite dominating the manganese market?
China’s influence comes from refining imported ore into ferroalloys and battery-grade material, not from its own mine output, which the comparison table shows is comparatively modest.
Which company operates the largest single manganese mine?
The comparison table lists the key producer for each country; South32’s Northern Cape operations and Eramet’s Comilog project are among the largest single operations globally.
Could the ranking of manganese producing countries change significantly?
Reserve levels shown in the table suggest the top four are stable for years to come; the more likely shift is in demand mix as battery-grade manganese sourcing grows relative to steel-grade ore.
