Top 5 Largest Lithium Reserves by Country

April 13, 2026 04:45:00 pm

Source: Investing News

2026-04-13 16:45:00 ET

Those interested in the lithium sector and investing in lithium stocks are often curious about which countries are the top producers of the battery metal, but they may not stop to consider the top lithium reserves by country.

Major lithium-producing countries are, of course, home to a large number of lithium companies. Many of the world’s top lithium producers also hold significant reserves, and their reserves can give an idea of how much room those countries have to grow. At the same time, nations with high reserves may become more significant lithium players in the future.

Lithium is a key raw material in the lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles and the energy storage sector, together with battery metals such as cobalt and nickel.

Global lithium production and reserves have increased significantly in the last decade as companies worked to meet battery demand. While oversupply led to decreased prices and production cuts at some mines, the lithium market is seeing a turn-around in 2026.

"Lithium prices appear to have moved ahead of the fundamentals, propelled by speculative buying, bullish sentiment and a backdrop of heightened geopolitical risk. Yet we may also be finally witnessing demand catch up with the supply surge of recent years," Fastmarkets’ Paul Lusty wrote in a January 2026 update .

On that note, here’s an overview of lithium reserves by country, with a focus on the five countries that host the world's largest lithium deposits. Lithium reserves data is based on the US Geological Survey's latest Mineral Commodity Summary and refers to contained lithium content in economic reserves.

Total worldwide lithium reserves stand at 37 million metric tons as of 2025, a significant increase over the 30 million metric tons reported in 2024 due to upward revisions to many countries' reserves. These gains were also seen in global lithium resources, which are detailed following the reserves list.

?Top lithium reserves by country

1. Chile

Lithium reserves: 9.2 million metric tons

Chile holds the largest lithium reserves in the world at 9.2 million metric tons, about 25 percent of the global lithium reserve base, with much of that located in its Salar de Atacama. Chile is a member of the famous Lithium Triangle alongside Argentina and Bolivia.

Chile was the second biggest producer of lithium in 2025 at 56,000 metric tons. Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) (NYSE:SQM) and Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) are the key lithium producers in Chile, operating in the Salar de Atacama.

According to the Baker Institute , Chile's strict legal framework surrounding mining concessions has hamstrung the lithium powerhouse from gaining a bigger share of the global lithium market comparable with this mineral largess.

In late April 2023, Gabriel Boric, then president of Chile, announced plans to partially nationalize the country's lithium industry in a bid to bolster the economy and protect the environment.

Chile's state-owned mining company Codelco has negotiated for much larger stakes in both SQM and Albemarle's lithium assets in the country, and will have controlling interests in all operations in that salar going forward.

In early 2025, Chile received seven bids for lithium operation contracts (CEOLs) across six salt flats. In the time since, the country has awarded CEOLs to multiple partnerships of Chilean national miners with public companies such as Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) for the Salares Altoandinos and Maricunga projects, CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL) for the Laguna Verde project and Lithium Chile (TSXV:LITH,OTCPL:LTMCF) for the Coipasa project .

2. Australia

Lithium reserves: 8.4 million metric tons

Australia's lithium reserves stand at 8.4 million metric tons, the majority of which are found in Western Australia. Unlike those found in Chile and Argentina, Australia's lithium reserves are in the form of hard-rock spodumene deposits.

Although it is second to Chile in reserves, Australia was the largest lithium-producing country in the world in 2025 at 92,000 metric tons, with many operational lithium mines in the country.

Its most significant is the Greenbushes lithium mine, which is operated by Talison Lithium, a joint venture comprised of lithium producers Tianqi Lithium (OTCPK:TQLCF,SZSE:002466,HKEX:9696) , Australian miner IGO (ASX:IGO,OTCPL:IPGDF) and Albemarle. Greenbushes has been producing lithium since 1985.

While Western Australia dominates lithium exploration, new research highlights untapped potential in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Published in "Earth System Science Data," the 2023 study — led by University of Sydney researchers with Geoscience Australia — maps regions with high lithium density, signaling broader opportunities for the growing battery metal market.

“We’ve developed the first map of lithium in Australian soils which identifies areas with elevated concentrations,” senior author Professor Budiman Minasny said. “The map agrees with existing mines and highlights areas that can be potential future lithium sources.”

3. China

Lithium reserves: 4.6 million metric tons

China holds lithium reserves of 4.6 million metric tons. The country has a mix of deposit types ; lithium brines make up the majority of its reserves, but it has spodumene and lepidolite hard-rock reserves as well.

In 2025, China produced 62,000 metric tons of the mineral, an over 20,000 metric ton increase from the previous year. According to the USGS, the country hosts nine hard-rock and six brine operations that contributed significant production, as well as other small operations.

The Asian nation is also the world's top importer of lithium, with Australia as its largest supplier. China’s lithium usage is high due to its electronics manufacturing and electric vehicle industries. It also produces the majority of the world’s lithium-ion batteries and hosts most of the world’s lithium-processing facilities.

In early 2025, Chinese media reported that the country has significantly bolstered its lithium ore reserves, claiming national deposits now account for 16.5 percent of global resources, up from 6 percent.

The surge is attributed in part to the discovery of a 2,800 kilometer lithium belt in the western regions, with proven reserves exceeding 6.5 million tons of lithium ore and potential resources surpassing 30 million tons. Additionally, advancements in extracting lithium from salt lakes and mica have further expanded China’s reserves.

4. Argentina

Lithium reserves: 4.4 million metric tons

Argentina, part of the Lithium Triangle, ranks fourth in terms of global lithium reserves at 4.4 million metric tons. The country is also the fifth largest lithium producer in the world, producing 23,000 MT of the metal in 2025.

Argentina hosts nine lithium operations and 83 lithium mining projects, Fastmarkets reported in March 2026. The country's most significant operations include Cauchari-Olaroz in Jujuy, which is a joint venture between Lithium Argentina (TSX:LAR) and Ganfeng Lithium (HKEX:1772,OTCPL:GNENF) , and Fénix in Catamarca, owned by Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) .

In 2025, Argentina's Milei administration introduced the Incentive Regime for Large Investments, or RIGI, which offers legal protections and stability measures to incentivize large investments in the nation. Mining projects that meet its requirements are eligible for the program.

Mining major Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) is currently advancing an expansion of lithium extraction at its operations on Argentina’s Rincon salar that was approved under the RIGI framework in March 2025. It will increase capacity from 3,000 to 60,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate, with production is expected to begin in 2028 followed by a three-year ramp up period to full capacity.

Argosy Minerals (ASX:AGY,OTCPL:ARYMF) is another lithium company expanding its operations, aiming to increase its annual lithium carbonate production at the Rincon salar from 2,000 to 12,000 metric tons. The expansion was greenlit in 2024.

?4. United States

Lithium reserves: 4.4 million metric tons

The United States hosts 4.4 million metric tons of lithium reserves, a number that increased significantly from the 1.8 million metric tons reported in 2024.

While US lithium production numbers are withheld by the USGS, the country produces lithium from just one mine, Albemarle's Silver Peak in Nevada. It produced 1,000 metric tons of lithium in 2025.

Silver Peak has been in operation since the 1960s, and includes lithium brine operations, a lithium carbonate processing plant and an anhydrous lithium hydroxide plant. In February 2026, Albemarle completed federal permitting for an expansion of operations under the FAST-41 project dashboard.

The Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada is currently under construction and expected to enter commercial production in 2028, with Phase 1 lithium carbonate production of 40,000 metric tons per year. Thacker Pass hosts a probable reserve of 4.5 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent from 269.5 million metric tons at a grade of 3,180 parts per million.

The project is a 62/38 joint venture between Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC,NYSE:LAC) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) .

Other lithium reserves by country

While Chile, Australia, Argentina and China are home to the world’s highest lithium reserves, other countries also hold significant amounts of the metal. Here’s a quick look at these other nations:

Canada — 1,600,000 metric tons
Brazil — 540,000 metric tons
Zimbabwe — 500,000 metric tons
Mali — 370,000 metric tons
Portugal — 60,000 metric tons

As the lithium industry continues to grow, production has followed, and many of these countries with high reserves are becoming significant producers as well.

?Top lithium resources by country

The list of the top 10 countries by measured and indicated lithium resources differs significantly from those with the top reserves. This category is broader as it also includes unproven and uneconomic lithium deposits.

According to the USGS report, "Owing to continuing exploration, measured and indicated lithium resources have increased substantially worldwide and total about 150 million metric tons."

The top 10 countries by lithium resources are:

United States — 30 million metric tons
Argentina — 28 million metric tons
Bolivia — 23 million metric tons
Chile — 13 million metric tons
Australia — 10 million metric tons
China — 10 million metric tons
Germany — 8.9 million metric tons
Canada — 8.1 million metric tons
Democratic Republic of Congo — 3 million metric tons
Mexico — 1.7 million metric tons

FAQs for lithium reserves

Where in the world are the best lithium reserves?

Chile has the largest lithium reserves, and the three countries that make up the Lithium Triangle — Argentina, Bolivia and Chile — together account for a large portion of the world’s lithium reserves.

What are the biggest lithium reserves in Europe?

Portugal has the biggest lithium reserves in Europe at 60,000 metric tons. The Southern European country is also Europe's top lithium miner, producing 380 metric tons of lithium in 2025.

In terms of lithium resources, Germany takes the lead with 8.9 million metric tons.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: CleanTech Lithium is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.