TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Copper reserves are increasingly in focus as the metal takes on a critical role in the global shift toward clean energy and continued urbanization. However, with new mines coming online and existing operations facing declining output, concerns over long-term shortages are growing.
According to experts, demand for copper is set to surge in the coming decades, fueled by electrification, expanding AI infrastructure, and the rapid buildout of power grids. The growing demand for copper has drawn renewed attention to its geographic distribution, which is heavily concentrated in a few countries.
Chile, Australia, Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Russia together hold more than half of the world’s known copper reserves, giving them significant strategic influence over the market.
While humanity has already mined more than 700 million tonnes of copper, nearly 1 billion tonnes remain in identified reserves, as per Visual Capitalist.
The world’s biggest copper reserves
The list below maps global copper reserves by country using data from the U.S. Geological Survey (2026), offering a clear view of which nations hold the largest known deposits and how tightly concentrated the world’s supply truly is.
1. Chile – 180 Mt
2. Australia – 100 Mt
3. Peru – 85 Mt
4. Congo (DRC) – 80 Mt
5. Russia – 80 Mt
6. Mexico – 53 Mt
7. United States – 47 Mt
8. China – 41 Mt
9. Poland – 33 Mt
10. Indonesia – 21 Mt
Chile dominates global copper reserves with an estimated 180 million metric tons (Mt), nearly equal to the combined holdings of Australia and Peru. The country also leads in production, delivering 5.3 million metric tons in 2025, or about 23 percent of global supply. According to Investing News Network, mining remains a cornerstone of Chile’s economy, accounting for more than half of its exports and contributing roughly $40 billion to GDP in 2023.
While Australia holds substantial copper reserves, its production levels remain comparatively modest. In 2025, the country ranked eighth globally, producing around 730,000 metric tons, well behind other nations with similarly large resource bases.
Much like neighboring Chile, Peru has built much of its economic strength on copper. The metal accounted for $28.13 billion of the country’s $61.85 billion in mining exports, underscoring its outsized role. Peru is also home to some of the world’s largest mining operations, with just two sites responsible for roughly a third of total output.
Copper reserves will remain a defining factor in the global energy transition. Supply pressures are likely to shape markets in the years ahead. For investors and observers alike, the outlook is one to watch closely. Read more about the countries with largest oil reserves and how they compare on the global stage, here.
Read: China Reports 14 Mineral Reserves as World's Largest
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