Key facts
- Kazakhstan, Canada and Namibia together provided roughly three-quarters of world mined uranium in 2024, per the World Nuclear Association.
- World mined production in 2024 was about 60,000 tU; some national figures are estimates rather than official reports.
- Australia holds the largest share of identified resources in the lower-cost class of the Red Book.
- Producer status changes with mine restarts, licensing and politics, so check the year of any figure.
How the country profiles are compiled
The profiles below give only facts that can be traced to the World Nuclear Association's annual compilation of production, the OECD-NEA and IAEA Red Book, or national agencies. Production is in tonnes of uranium (tU) mined during 2024. Where a source marks a figure as an estimate, that is stated. Countries are ordered roughly by 2024 production rather than by resources, because the two rankings differ. Resource definitions are on the resources and reserves page, and the market context on the production and demand page.
The three largest producers
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has been the world's largest uranium producer for several years; the World Nuclear Association put its 2024 output at about 23,300 tU, around 39 per cent of the world total. Production comes almost entirely from in-situ leach operations, and the national company Kazatomprom is the largest single producer worldwide. See the Asian projects page and the ISL explainer.
Canada
Canada produced about 14,300 tU in 2024 (about 24 per cent of the world total), nearly all from high-grade unconformity-related deposits in northern Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin, including Cigar Lake and McArthur River, with milling at Key Lake and McClean Lake. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates mining and milling. Details are on the Canada page.
Namibia
Namibia produced about 7,300 tU in 2024 (about 12 per cent), mainly from the open-pit Husab and Rössing mines in the Erongo region. Ownership of the two mines involves Chinese state-linked companies. See the Rössing page and the African operating mines page.
Other significant producing countries
Australia
Australia produced about 4,600 tU in 2024 and holds the largest share of identified resources recoverable below USD 130/kgU in the Red Book. Much output is a by-product of the Olympic Dam copper-gold mine in South Australia. See the Olympic Dam page.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a significant producer, estimated at about 4,000 tU in 2024, with output from in-situ leach operations run by the state company Navoiyuran. Output figures are estimates because they are not routinely published in detail. See the Asian projects page.
Russia
Russia produced about 2,700 tU in 2024, mainly through Rosatom's mining subsidiary, with underground mining in the Transbaikal region and ISL operations in Siberia and the Urals. Russia also operates a large share of the world's conversion and enrichment capacity (see the fuel facilities page).
China
China's output is estimated at about 1,600 tU in 2024. Chinese state companies also hold interests in mines abroad, including Husab in Namibia. See the Asian projects page.
Niger
Niger's production fell from about 4,100 tU in 2015 to about 960 tU in 2024. The Arlit-area mines operated for decades under French-linked ownership; ownership and licensing disputes have been in the news in recent years. See the African operating mines page and the African new projects page.
Smaller producers and by-product countries
United States
The United States produced about 260 tU in 2024, mainly by in-situ recovery in Wyoming and Texas, plus the White Mesa mill in Utah, and imports most of the uranium its reactors use. The Energy Information Administration publishes annual production data; the NRC and Agreement States license facilities. See the United States page.
India
India's output is estimated at about 500 tU in 2024 and comes from state-owned operations; it has a nuclear programme that also relies on imports. See the Asian projects page.
South Africa
South Africa has produced uranium chiefly as a by-product of Witwatersrand gold mining, with an estimated 200 tU in 2024. The National Nuclear Regulator oversees nuclear and mining-related radiation matters. See the South Africa page.
Ukraine
Ukraine produced about 290 tU in 2024, from state-owned underground operations in the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Wartime conditions mean data should be treated with care. See the European projects page.
Countries with resources but little or no output
Brazil
Brazil holds identified uranium resources and has produced from the Caetité (Lagoa Real) district in Bahia, with the Santa Quitéria phosphate-uranium project in Ceará long under development. The scale of current output is not reported at a level this page can verify, so no figure is given. See the South American projects page.
Other European countries
Several European states, including Czechia, Slovakia and Sweden, have past mining or exploration history but little or no current mining; policies range from legacy cleanup to bans on uranium mining. See the European projects page.
Other African countries
Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and others have exploration or development projects at varying stages; status changes frequently. See the African new projects page.
Limits when comparing countries
Rankings by production, by resources and by reactor demand give different orders, and none says much on its own. A country can hold large resources yet produce little because of cost, remoteness or policy, while another can produce more than it holds in remaining low-cost resources. Output depends on the commodity cycle, mine outages and permits. State-owned companies disclose varying amounts of detail, so published figures for some countries are estimates compiled from partial data. Regulation also differs, as outlined on the regulation page, and affects the timing and feasibility of projects. Readers needing current figures should consult the World Nuclear Association compilation, the national agencies and the Red Book directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries produce the most uranium?
In 2024, according to the World Nuclear Association, Kazakhstan (about 39 per cent), Canada (about 24 per cent) and Namibia (about 12 per cent) led world mined production.
Which country has the largest uranium resources?
The Red Book lists Australia with the largest share of identified resources recoverable below USD 130/kgU. Resource rankings differ from production rankings because many deposits are not mined.
Are the production numbers exact?
Some are reported by companies or governments, while others, such as those for Uzbekistan, China, India and South Africa, are estimates. Production also changes each year.
Does the United States produce much uranium?
Domestic production is small compared with the amount needed by US reactors, which rely largely on imports and inventories. The US Energy Information Administration publishes the details.
Why are some countries described without figures?
Where no reliable current figure could be confirmed from primary sources, this page gives none rather than guess.
Sources and further reading
- World Nuclear Association — World Uranium Mining Production (2025)
- World Nuclear Association — Supply of Uranium (2025)
- OECD Nuclear Energy Agency / IAEA — Uranium 2022: Resources, Production and Demand (2023)
- US Energy Information Administration — Domestic Uranium Production Report (2024)
- Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission — Uranium mines and mills (2024)
- US Nuclear Regulatory Commission — Uranium recovery (2024)
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