ASTANA: Kazakhstan ranked 13th among the world’s largest mineral fuel-producing countries in 2024, with total production reaching 224.2 million metric tons, according to international mining data.The ranking covers a broad range of mineral fuels, including steam coal, coking coal, lignite, petroleum, oil shale, natural gas and uranium.China topped the global ranking with 4.81 billion metric tons, accounting for 28.6% of worldwide production.
The United States ranked second with 2.28 billion metric tons, followed by Russia with 1.46 billion, India with 1.14 billion, and Indonesia with 921.4 million metric tons.Together, the five leading producers accounted for 63.1% of global mineral fuel production in 2024.Kazakhstan’s output placed it just behind Iraq, which ranked 12th with 225.2 million metric tons, and ahead of Qatar, which ranked 14th with 211.8 million metric tons. Kazakhstan contributed approximately 1.3% of global mineral fuel production.
The composition of production varies significantly among major producers. Coal dominates output in China, India and Indonesia, while petroleum and natural gas make up a larger share of production in countries such as the United States and Russia.Regionally, the Asia-Pacific remained the world’s largest mineral fuel-producing region in 2024, accounting for 8.36 billion metric tons, or 49.7% of global output. North America ranked second with 17.3%, followed by the Middle East with 12.9% and Europe with 12.5%.
The figures are based on World Mining Data, an annual publication covering mineral production across 168 countries, drawing on official mining statistics and data from international geological and mining organizations.The ranking measures mineral fuels collectively by physical weight, meaning it differs from rankings based on individual commodities such as crude oil. Countries producing large volumes of oil and gas may therefore rank differently because these fuels have significantly higher energy density than coal.
