Platinum
A precious catalyst metal for vehicle exhausts, hydrogen fuel cells and glass-fiber production. South Africa supplies ~71%.
Hydrogen fuel cells for backup power; platinum used in hard-disk platters and sensors.
South Africa ~71% of mine output.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world mine production (kilograms) · figures are for Reserves are for all platinum-group metals combined. Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Where the reserves are
Share of known economic reserves (kilograms). World total: 76k t. ≈ 447 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.
Platinum: key questions
- Where is platinum mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are South Africa (71%), Russia (12%) and Zimbabwe (11%) of world mine production.
- Is platinum a critical mineral?
- Platinum appears on 9 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United States (DOE), European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Canada).
- Is platinum in short supply?
- Our supply status: Watch. South Africa ~71% of mine output.
- Why does platinum matter for AI infrastructure?
- Hydrogen fuel cells for backup power; platinum used in hard-disk platters and sensors.
Related minerals
ExplorerRhodium
WatchThe rarest and often priciest PGM, used in catalytic converters and glass-fiber bushings.
Iridium
WatchThe most corrosion-resistant metal, critical for PEM electrolyzers that make green hydrogen and for crucibles that grow crystals.
Ruthenium
WatchA PGM used in hard-disk drives, chip resistors and — increasingly — as a next-generation chip interconnect metal.