Mining by country

Mining in Bhutan

What Bhutan mines: silicon (2% of world output, #7).

Mineral rents0.1%of GDP, 2021. Higher than 65% of countries.
Ores and metals26%of merchandise exports, 2025.
Biggest world roleSilicon2% of world mine output, #7, 2025.
World top-3 producer of0minerals we track.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law+0.72above 76% of countries
  • Political stability+1.39above 95% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-0.09above 50% of countries
  • Control of corruption+1.47above 90% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Mining in Bhutan at a glance

Mining in GDP4.8%2019. Mining and quarrying contribution to GDP.Source: USGS
Mining jobs1,3932019. Persons employed in mining and quarrying in 2019.Source: USGS

Mining employment from the ILO usually counts all of mining and quarrying, often with oil and gas; national shares of GDP and exports are as each source defines them.

Share of world mine production

MineralWorld shareWorld rankYear
Silicon2%72025

Silicon mining in Bhutan

Bhutan mined 2% of the world's silicon in 2025, ranking #7 (USGS).

History of mining in Bhutan

What the ground holds. silicon, cement, coal, dolomite, gypsum, limestone, marble, quartzite, talc and granite. Source: USGS

How prospectors changed the worldThe full mining timeline

Mining elsewhere in Asia

ChinaIndonesiaJapanKazakhstanSouth KoreaIndiaTurkeyMongoliaPhilippinesVietnam

World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.

Keep exploring

Stories from Bhutan and its minerals

The world runs on rockThe BatteryInside a lithium-ion cellThe Big Hole at Kimberley, South Africa, seen from above, with water at the bottomMining historyThe Big Hole, KimberleyDiamonds · South AfricaThe world runs on rockThe ChipThe minerals inside every computer chipGold drill-hole columns rising over the Yilgarn goldfields on a satellite map of Western AustraliaData storyUnder Western AustraliaDrill holes · Western Australia

All mining storiesThe world runs on rockAll mineralsMining by country

Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: The Big Hole by Rudolph Botha, CC BY-SA 3.0.