Production of Uranium worldwide

       World’s Uranium and it's Production analysis

Nuclear power is regaining momentum as countries seek stable electricity supplies and lower-carbon energy sources. This has pushed uranium, the fuel used in nuclear reactors, back into focus. This visualization uses data from the World Nuclear Association to show annual uranium production by country. Kazakhstan remains the dominant supplier by a wide margin, while countries like Canada and Namibia have rapidly expanded production in recent years. About three-quarters of the world's production of uranium from mines is from Kazakhstan, Canada and Namibia. In 2024 Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines (39% of world supply), followed by Canada (24%) and Namibia (12%).  Canada and Namibia sharply increased output as nuclear demand and uranium prices recovered. US uranium production remains near historic lows despite renewed focus on domestic supply security. Kazakhstan produced 23,270 tonnes of uranium in 2024, accounting for more than one-third of global output.

Rank Country          2015(Tonnes)   2024(Tonnes)  Change (2015-2024)

1            Kazakhstan                  23,607                  23,270                             -1.4%

2              Canada                  13,325                  14,309                              7.4%

3             Namibia                  2,993                   7,333                             145.0%

4              Australia                  5,654                   4,598                             -18.7%

5             Uzbekistan                  2,385                   4,000                                   67.7%

6             Russia                          3,055                    2,738                              -10.4%

7              China                          1,616                   1,600                              -1.0%

8              Niger                          4,116                    962                             -76.6%

9             India                           385                    500                              29.9%

10          South Africa                   393                    200                              -49.1%

11            Ukraine                         1,200                     288                              -76.0%

12            USA                          1,256                     260                              -79.3%

--           Others                           357                     155                              -56.6%

--         World total                 60,342                    60,213                               -0.2%

US uranium production nearly disappeared in 2020, falling to just six tonnes as low prices made domestic mining uneconomical. However, the sector has started recovering amid higher uranium prices and geopolitical concerns surrounding global supply chains. Restrictions on Russian uranium imports have also increased interest in rebuilding domestic production capacity. Even after rebounding from near-zero production in 2020, the US produced just 260 tonnes of uranium in 2024 versus more than 23,000 tonnes in Kazakhstan. The gap highlights how dependent global nuclear fuel markets remain on a small number of suppliers. The country combines large sandstone uranium deposits with low-cost in-situ recovery mining techniques, which are generally cheaper and less labor-intensive than conventional mining. State-backed producer Kazatomprom has also helped scale production efficiently over the last decade. Kazakhstan also ranks second globally in uranium reserves. While Kazakhstan’s output dipped during the pandemic years, production rebounded strongly as uranium demand and prices recovered.

Mining methods have been changing. In 1990, 55% of world production came from underground mines, but this shrunk dramatically to 1999, with 33% then. From 2000 the new Canadian mines increased it again. In 2024 in situ leach (ISL, also called in situ recovery, ISR) mining accounted for over 50% of production:-

Method                                                                  Percentage

In situ leach (ISL)                                                                         52%

Underground & open pit (except Olympic Dam                         44%

By-product                                                                                 4%

Canada ranked as the world’s second-largest uranium producer in 2024, with output rising to 14,309 tonnes. Production had previously collapsed in 2020 due to mine shutdowns and weak market conditions, but the restart of major projects such as Cigar Lake and McArthur River helped drive a sharp recovery. Namibia also strengthened its position as a major supplier, producing 7,333 tonnes in 2024. The country has emerged as one of the fastest-growing uranium suppliers in the world, supported by large open-pit mines and rising foreign investment tied to growing nuclear fuel demand.

Conventional mines have a mill where the ore is crushed, ground and then leached with sulfuric acid to dissolve the uranium oxides. At the mill of a conventional mine, or the treatment plant of an ISL operation, the uranium then separated by ion exchange before being dried and packed, usually as U3O8. Some mills and ISL operations (especially in the USA) use carbonate leaching instead of sulfuric acid, depending on the orebody. Where uranium is recovered as a by-product, e.g. of copper or phosphate, the treatment process is likely to be more complex. During the 1990s the uranium production industry was consolidated by takeovers, mergers and closures, but this has diversified again with Kazakhstan's multinational ownership structure. Over half of uranium mine production is from state-owned mining companies, some of which prioritize secure supply over market considerations. In 2022, the top 10 companies by production contributed over 90% of the world's uranium production:-

Company                                     tonnes U             Percentage of world total

Kazatomprom                                           12,463                                           21

Cameco                                                   10,193                                           17

Orano                                                    6815                                           11

CGN                                                   5761                                           10

Uranium One                                           5829                                           10

Navoi Mining                                           4000                                            7

CNNC                                                   3286                                            6

ARMZ                                                   2738                                            5

BHP                                                         2693                                            5

General Atomics/Quasar                           1808                                            3

Other                                                   4627                                            8