GCRI · Trade and Strategic Resources
Critical minerals
Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, rare earths and copper are essential to batteries, electricity networks, electronics and defence, and their mining and especially processing are concentrated in few countries. Demand is rising with the energy transition. This page sets out what makes a mineral critical, how supply concentration and disruption are assessed, and what evidence serves the governments and firms that plan supply.
Critical minerals on the record.
Critical minerals: how the risk develops.
Mining, refining, demand and resource security. The dossier below sets out how the risk develops, what is measured, where the data come from, how it is modelled and who decides.
Processing is more concentrated than mining
Ore may be mined in many countries, but refining and processing are often concentrated in one or two. The processing stage is where supply chains are most exposed.
New supply is slow
Exploration, permitting, financing and construction of mines and refineries take many years. Supply cannot respond quickly to demand surges or disruptions.
Policy shapes access
Export restrictions, resource nationalism and investment screening change who can buy and process minerals. Policy shifts can move markets faster than geology.
Recycling and substitution take time
Recycling depends on products reaching end of life and collection systems; substitution depends on research and redesign. Both reduce dependence over years, not months.
Activity and hazards in the Strait of Malacca.
Night lights, population density and land cover over the Strait of Malacca, from NASA GIBS. Each layer carries its own date.
The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.
Layers 3
Activity and hazards, for this page
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2) (NASA LAADS DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LAADS DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite radiance, corrected for moonlight and atmosphere
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-12
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite night-time radiance for the date shown; lights are a proxy for electricity use and outages, not a measurement of supply or access.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Estimated
- Source
- Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University))
- Provider
- NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Vintage
- null; Census-based estimate, static (2020)
- Resolution
- about 1 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Census-based estimate of people per square kilometre in 2020, shown as exposure context; not a count of people affected by any hazard.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- GHRSST MUR25 (NASA JPL PO.DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA JPL PO.DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite analysis
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-12
- Resolution
- about 2 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite analysis of how far sea temperature departs from its usual value for the date shown; a marine heat indicator, not a coral bleaching alert.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite image
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite image. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Modelled (latest year GIBS publishes)
- Source
- MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1) (NASA LP DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LP DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- yearly; Satellite classification; latest year GIBS publishes
- Newest at build
- 2024-01-01
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite land cover classes for the year shown, including croplands; a classification with known errors, not a farm register.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed (clouds leave gaps)
- Source
- VIIRS Global Flood Product (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
Keyboard, with the map focused
Hold Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll to zoom
Latest available
NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth
Loading the latest NASA imagery.
Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.
Activity and hazards, framed on the Strait of Malacca.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date. They are indicators, not assessments of any place.
Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERTSources and licences
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). doi:10.7927/H49C6VHW. CC BY 4.0
- GHRSST Level 4 MUR analyses, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; distributed by the NASA Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). Cite as: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Spacesystems and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (2019). ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003. doi:10.5067/ASTER/ASTGTM.003. NASA open data
- Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
- © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). ODbL
- Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
- Live events: NASA Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET); events are indicative and keep their original source links.
- Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
- Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- NASA GIBS: We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Optional layers (7 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.
Layers and dates
- Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
- Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
- Sea surface temperature anomaly: GHRSST MUR25, NASA JPL PO.DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
- True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
- Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
- Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
Critical minerals link the energy transition to water, land and health.
- EnergyCouplingBatteries, grids and wind turbines need copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earths.What to watchRefining concentration by mineral
- WaterCouplingMining and brine extraction draw on scarce water in dry regions.What to watchWater use per tonne processed
- BiodiversityCouplingMines and tailings affect habitats and communities.What to watchOverlap with key biodiversity areas
Mineral supply analyses are designed for the Strategic Systems series. The IEA’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 and the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 are the main open references; refining tends to be more concentrated than mining.
- Material flow data for a country or sector.
- Community and environmental monitoring around mines.
Supplier tier map.
The screen a team would use to follow this subject: its measures, states and decisions. Names are examples and values are illustrative.
Supplier tier map
Critical minerals · Assembly cluster · Bill of materials BOM-129
Tier mapping
- Tier 121 suppliers
- Tier 282
- Tier 3103
- Raw materials10
Concentration
| Rare earth magnet | 80 | 5604 | None qualified | High |
| Gallium | 68 | 4520 | Recycling pilot | High |
| Copper wire | 38 | 943 | Two qualified | Low |
| Lithium cells | 52 | 3065 | One qualified | Medium |
Mitigation
- Dual source
- qualification 10 months
- Buffer stock
- 10 weeks
- Design change
- substitution study
- Owner
- Procurement lead
What is measured, and how well.
Each indicator carries its unit, its cadence, the kind of source behind it and the evidence label a value would carry. No values are shown: a programme supplies them under its own authority.
| Indicator | Unit | Cadence | Source type | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of global mine production by top producing country | percent | annual | Geological survey statistics | Published statistics |
| Share of global refining by top country | percent | annual | Industry and agency analysis | ESTIMATED |
| Supply concentration | Herfindahl-Hirschman index | annual | Production statistics | ESTIMATED |
| Import reliance | percent of apparent consumption imported | annual | Trade and production data | ESTIMATED |
| Export restrictions in force | count by mineral | annual | Trade policy inventories | Published statistics |
| End-of-life recycling rate | percent | per assessment | Material flow studies | ESTIMATED |
| Projected demand under stated scenarios | tonnes | per outlook | Agency outlooks | FORECAST |
Model critical minerals as a system. Run the cascade.
Assembled from the Nexus Standards area profile Supply chain and trade risk: the hazards it names, the systems and sectors that carry the loss, the controls that dampen it and the data that observe it. Choose the components, pick an initiating hazard and step through the cascade. The Map view places the run on an example geography with open data. Every coupling weight is a stated assumption you can change. A teaching model, not a forecast, an assessment or a certification. To model a place of your own choosing, open the full System Builder.
Hazards
- Dam failure
- River flood (set off downstream)
- Flash flood (set off downstream)
- Mass displacement (set off downstream)
- Widespread power outage (set off downstream)
- Water supply shortfall (set off downstream)
Systems and couplings
- Supply chain and trade risk
- Food security and nutrition risk Cascade
- Oceans and coasts risk standards Exposure
- Geopolitical and security risk Common driver
- Cyber and digital risk standards Cascade
Controls
NS-0Constitution and principlesNS-3Risk record UNIs (grammar, legacy crosswalk, allocation authority)NS-9Contextual UNIs (deployments, instances, programme instances)NS-10Policies and clauses (machine-readable obligations: definition, binding, evaluation and enforcement)NS-11Verification and monitoring (evidence, attestations, zero-trust conformance observation)NS-12Software, model and AI/ML artefacts (supply chain, model cards, dataset sheets)NRS-H60Hazard family: Supply-chain and flow disruption (NHS-1 sys.supply-chain)NRS-X4Trade, transport and supply chains riskNRS-H89Hazard family: Transport network disruption (NHS-1 infra.mobility)NRS-K38Domain pack profile: Supply chain trade (DOMAIN-038)NRS-H43Hazard family: Livestock and aquaculture epizootics (NHS-1 health.animal-health)NRS-M10Method fabric: Markets, trade and supply chains
Observation
- IMF PortWatch port activity and chokepoint disruptions (listed for reference)
- Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (listed for reference)
- OECD Data Explorer (SDMX API) (listed for reference)
- World Bank Open Data and World Development Indicators API (listed for reference)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
- Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport
Example geography
- The Strait of Malacca: 227 hexagonal cells
- Night lights tonight, outages (VIIRS Day/Night Band), NASA GIBS
- Surface water through cloud, 30 m (OPERA DSWx-S1 radar), NASA GIBS
- Rain rate, last half hour (IMERG), NASA GIBS
- Surface soil moisture (SMAP), NASA GIBS
Where the evidence comes from.
Named public datasets and institutional records, each with its licence class. Sources by agreement are used only under their terms and never republished.
| Source | What it gives | Licence class |
|---|---|---|
| USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries | Production, reserves and import reliance by mineral | Public domain, US government data |
| British Geological Survey World Mineral Statistics | Production and trade of minerals by country | Licence to check |
| IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook and data explorer | Supply, demand and processing concentration scenarios | Licence per dataset (to check) |
| OECD Inventory of Export Restrictions on Industrial Raw Materials | Export restrictions by mineral and country | Public, OECD terms |
| European Commission critical raw materials assessments | Criticality methodology and results for the EU | Public, EU reuse policy |
| EITI data portal | Extractive sector disclosures by country | Open, EITI terms |
How critical minerals is modelled, measured and tested.
The model, its assumptions, its data and its uncertainty, in the form a scientist or engineer would check. Structures follow published methods. The values drawn are illustrative, not findings.
System model
The couplings between the systems in critical minerals: signs of influence, a reinforcing and a balancing loop, and cross-links where stress jumps.
Who decides, and what the evidence serves.
Trade and Strategic Resources prepares evidence. The decisions below are taken by the authorities named, under their own rules, and never by the platform.
| Who decides | The question | Evidence this page serves |
|---|---|---|
| Ministries of industry, energy and mines | Which minerals to treat as critical and which supply options to support | Criticality profiles; diversification scenarios |
| Manufacturers | How to diversify sourcing and invest in recycling or substitution | Concentration maps; recycling evidence |
| Producer country governments | How to capture value and manage mining risks | Value chain and EITI evidence |
Outputs this topic produces
- Criticality profiles combining supply risk and economic importance
- Processing concentration maps by mineral
- Diversification and recycling scenario analyses
- Evidence notes on export restrictions
What experts ask about critical minerals.
- Where are reserves, mines and refineries located, and how concentrated is each stage?
- How quickly can new supply come online, given exploration, permitting and construction times?
- Which materials can be substituted, reduced or recycled, and at what performance cost?
- How do demand projections change under different technology and policy pathways?
- What environmental and social conditions accompany extraction and processing?
What drives supply risk.
Geology sets the starting point: economically viable deposits of some minerals occur in few places. But concentration is often greater in processing than in mining. Refining and chemical processing require specialised plants, know-how and reagents, and capacity has tended to cluster where costs, policy support and industrial ecosystems favoured it.
New supply is slow. Developing a mine typically takes many years from discovery to production, and refining capacity also needs time to build and qualify. Meanwhile, demand can grow quickly with energy and digital transitions. This mismatch produces price volatility, which in turn discourages investment, creating cycles.
Some minerals are by-products, recovered only when another metal is mined, so their supply depends on demand for the main product. Policy matters too: export restrictions, resource nationalism and trade measures can change availability quickly.
Methods and their limits.
- 01
Criticality assessment
Frameworks combining economic importance with supply risk. Results depend on chosen indicators and weights, and differ between assessments.
- 02
Material flow analysis
Tracking materials through extraction, processing, use and recycling. Data on intermediate trade and stocks are incomplete.
- 03
Materials science
Research on substitution, reduced intensity and recycling routes using materials science and chemistry. Laboratory advances may take years to reach industrial scale.
- 04
Network concentration analysis
Measures of supplier concentration at each stage using network science. Ownership and control can differ from location.
Demand projections for transition minerals vary widely with assumptions about technology and policy, and are presented as scenarios, not predictions.
How it is studied, and what the methods cannot say.
- 01Materials science and chemistryProcessing route analysis · Recycling potential · Substitution optionsApplied here
- 02Network science and contagionTrade network centrality · Multi-tier dependency mapping · Disruption propagationApplied here
- 03EconometricsPrice transmission · Effects of trade measures · Disruption impacts on outputApplied here
- 04Geospatial information systemsFacility hazard overlays · Sourcing region deforestation · Corridor mappingApplied here
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
- IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 (International Energy Agency, 2025)
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2025)
- Principles to guide critical energy transition minerals, UN Secretary-General’s Panel (United Nations, 2024)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, the Critical Raw Materials Act
Where this page leads across the Consortium.
Questions and answers.
What makes a mineral critical?
Why is processing more concentrated than mining?
Can recycling replace mining?
Does the platform keep its own list of critical minerals?
Can recycling solve supply risk?
Does the platform assess individual mining projects?
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