Global rare earth element (REE) mines, deposits and occurrences (May 2021) map

The rare earth elements (REE) are mined from hard-rock sources and from sources formed by weathering at the Earth’s surface. The main hard-rock sources are carbonatite and alkaline igneous rocks, in which REE are found in a wide range of minerals, although currently they are only extracted from monazite, xenotime, fluorcarbonates, and loparite. Much research is being undertaken to expand the range of minerals from which we will be able to extract REE in the future. The main weathered sources of REE are ion adsorption clays, weathered carbonatite, and mineral sands. China is the main global producer of REE ores and concentrates, but a number of other REE mines have opened in recent years.

Download the Global rare earth element (REE) mines, deposits and occurrences (May 2021) map