Global Mining Development Report 2026: Global Solid Mineral Exploration Investment Declines for Four Consecutive Years

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 11, during the 2026 China International Mining Conference, the China Mining News, affiliated with the China Geological Survey, officially released the Global Mining Development Report 2026. Data from the report shows that in 2025, global exploration investment in major solid minerals was US$12.401 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 0.6%, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline, though the decline was significantly narrower than the 3.3% drop in 2024. In 2024, global exploration investment in major solid minerals was US$12.48 billion, and in 2023 it was US$12.76 billion.

In 2025, global grassroots-stage mineral exploration investment was US$2.574 billion, accounting for 20.8% of global exploration investment in major solid minerals. Compared with 2024, grassroots-stage investment decreased by approximately US$216 million, with its share falling by 1.6 percentage points from 22.4%. In 2024, grassroots-stage exploration investment was US$2.79 billion, while detailed exploration-stage and mine development-stage investment were US$4.71 billion and US$4.98 billion, respectively.

Looking at investment changes over the past three years, global exploration investment in major solid minerals declined from US$12.76 billion in 2023 to US$12.48 billion in 2024, and further to US$12.401 billion in 2025. In 2023, it fell by 1.8% year-on-year; in 2024, the decline widened to 3.3%; and in 2025, the decline narrowed to 0.6%.

The previous year's Global Mining Development Report 2025 showed that in 2024, precious metal exploration investment reached US$6.154 billion, accounting for 49.3% of global exploration investment in major solid minerals, of which gold exploration investment was US$5.551 billion; copper exploration investment was US$3.201 billion, accounting for 25.6%, reaching a near 10-year high. Exploration investment in strategic emerging minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel totaled US$1.697 billion, accounting for 13.6%.

In 2024, global mineral exploration funds also concentrated toward the mine development stage. Mine development-stage investment was US$4.98 billion, accounting for 39.9%; detailed exploration-stage investment was US$4.71 billion, accounting for 37.8%; and grassroots-stage investment was US$2.79 billion, accounting for 22.4%. In 2025, the grassroots-stage share further dropped to 20.8%, with corresponding investment falling to US$2.574 billion.

Information previously released by the China Geological Survey shows that global exploration investment in major solid minerals entered a phase of continuous decline after 2022, standing at US$12.76 billion in 2023 and further dropping to US$12.48 billion in 2024. Global solid mineral drilling activity also declined during the same period. In 2024, the total number of drilling projects was 2,753, with a total of 45,376 drill holes, down 19.9% and 15.3% year-on-year, respectively.