Ranked: Unmined Gold Reserves by Country (2025)

Like
Liked

Date:

See more visualizations like this on the Voronoi app.

Graphic showing gold reserves underground by country.

Use This Visualization

Ranked: Unmined Gold Reserves by Country (2025)

See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • Russia and Australia each hold an estimated 12,000 tonnes of unmined gold reserves—together representing almost 40% of global totals.
  • Just 10 countries account for more than 85% of the world’s untapped gold deposits, valued at over $7 trillion.

With gold trading above $4,000 per troy ounce, the largest unmined reserves indicate which countries could drive the next phase of global production.

This visualization ranks nations by their estimated economically recoverable gold deposits, offering a snapshot of where future mining investment might concentrate.

The data for this graphic comes from the U.S. Geological Survey (January 2025). It estimates total unmined gold reserves, expressed in metric tons and valued using a gold price of $4,362 per troy ounce.

Russia and Australia Dominate Global Gold Reserves

Russia and Australia are tied as the world’s top holders of unmined gold, each with around 12,000 tonnes. Together, they account for reserves valued at $1.7 trillion each.

Russia’s largest unmined gold reserves are primarily located in Siberia and the Far East, including major deposits in the Krasnoyarsk and Magadan regions, as well as the Amur and Chukotka districts.

In Australia, most untapped gold lies within Western Australia’s resource-rich belts, particularly the Yilgarn Craton, which hosts many of the country’s biggest existing and undeveloped deposits.

Rank Country Unmined Gold (t) Value (US$ B)
1 🇷🇺 Russia 12 000 1 687
2 🇦🇺 Australia 12 000 1 687
3 🇿🇦 South Africa 5 000 701
4 🇮🇩 Indonesia 3 800 505
5 🇨🇦 Canada 3 200 449
6 🇨🇳 China 3 100 435
7 🇺🇸 United States 3 000 421
8 🇵🇪 Peru 2 500 351
9 🇧🇷 Brazil 2 400 337
10 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 2 300 323
11 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 1 800 252
12 🇲🇽 Mexico 1 400 196
13 🇬🇭 Ghana 1 000 140
14 🇲🇱 Mali 800 112
15 🇨🇴 Colombia 700 98
16 🇹🇿 Tanzania 400 56

Emerging Markets Show Strong Potential

Countries like Indonesia, Peru, and Brazil stand out among emerging economies. Indonesia’s 3,800 tonnes place it fourth globally, while Peru and Brazil each hold between 2,400 and 2,500 tonnes.

These regions could see significant investment as global demand shifts toward diversified supply chains and lower-cost extraction opportunities.

The United States and China, both major producers, still hold substantial unmined reserves, around 3,000 tonnes each. Yet much of the world’s new exploration is taking place in Africa, in countries such as Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania. Within the continent, South Africa leads our ranking with 5,000 metric tons of reserves.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing Gold Production by Country on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

ALT-Lab-Ad-1
ALT-Lab-Ad-2
ALT-Lab-Ad-3
ALT-Lab-Ad-4
ALT-Lab-Ad-5
ALT-Lab-Ad-6
ALT-Lab-Ad-7
ALT-Lab-Ad-8
ALT-Lab-Ad-9
ALT-Lab-Ad-10
ALT-Lab-Ad-11
ALT-Lab-Ad-12
ALT-Lab-Ad-13

Recent Articles