1. China
China unsurprisingly is at the top of the list of the world’s largest producers of gold, having been in the number one position since 2007. The country churned out 420 metric tonnes of gold in 2018, according to the World Gold Council. China’s gold output originates predominantly from the Shandong province located on the eastern part of the country.
2. Australia
Australia is the world’s second-largest producer of gold. The country boasts more than 66 operating gold mines, with more than 40% of them located in Western Australia. In 2018, Australia produced about 315 metric tonnes of gold.
3. Russia
Russia ranks as the third largest gold producing country. The country produced around 295 metric tonnes in 2018. Russia’s gold mining industry has benefited greatly from strong encouragement and investment from the Russian government, with significant production originating from the Far East of the country.
4. United States
The United States comes in fourth on the list of largest gold producers. Mining operations in Nevada contribute significantly to these numbers, as Gold Rush history Nevada claims the title of the top gold-producing state. In 2018, the United States produced about 210 metric tonnes of gold.
5. Canada
Canada is the fifth largest gold producer in the world in 2018, with around 185 metric tonnes produced. Gold mining in Canada is largely centered in the province of Ontario and the massive territory of Nunavut which is home to some of the largest gold mines in the world.
6. Peru
Peru comes in as the sixth largest gold producing country worldwide, tied with Canada. Also producing around 185 metric tonnes in 2018, Peru is home to many high-grade gold mines that are still yet to be fully exploited, adding a lot of potential for future gold production in the country.
7. South Africa
South Africa’s gold production has been falling steadily over the past few decades, but it still finds itself amongst the top 10 gold producing countries. Once the world’s top gold producer by far, South Africa’s gold mines produce around 130 metric tonnes of gold in 2018.
8. Mexico
Mexico is the eighth largest gold producer, extracting 130 metric tonnes in 2018. Mining operations like the Penasquito mine owned by Goldcorp, contribute significantly to the gold production numbers.
9. Uzbekistan
Beating Ghana to claim the number nine spot is Uzbekistan. The country has many gold-mining operations, but the Muruntau mine is one of the world’s largest open-pit gold mines. Uzbekistan contributed 90 metric tonnes of gold production in 2018.
10. Ghana
Capping off the list of the top ten gold producers is Ghana. Accounting for 5% of world gold production, Ghana produced around 90 metric tonnes of gold in 2018. Big mining companies like Newmont, Gold Fields and AngloGold all have operations in Ghana, contributing to its place on this list.