Niobium
Strengthens steel pipelines and structures in tiny amounts; also forms superconducting magnets. Brazil supplies about 93%.
High-strength low-alloy steel for buildings and transmission; niobium superconductors in quantum and research hardware.
Single-country concentration: Brazil ~93% of mine output.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world mine production (metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Where the reserves are
Share of known economic reserves (metric tons). World total: 21M t. ≈ 188 years at 2025 output.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Niobium: key questions
- Where is niobium mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are Brazil (93%), Canada (5.4%) and DR Congo (0.9%) of world mine production. China accounts for about 0%.
- Is niobium a critical mineral?
- Niobium appears on 8 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Canada).
- Is niobium in short supply?
- Our supply status: Watch. Single-country concentration: Brazil ~93% of mine output.
- Why does niobium matter for AI infrastructure?
- High-strength low-alloy steel for buildings and transmission; niobium superconductors in quantum and research hardware.
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