Mining by country

Mining in Eritrea

Mining in Eritrea: the public figures we hold so far. The World Bank puts mineral rents at 25% of GDP (2011) and ores and metals at 1.8% of merchandise exports (2003). No world production share, mine or listed company project is recorded here yet.

Mineral rents25%of GDP, 2011. Higher than 98% of countries.
Ores and metals1.8%of merchandise exports, 2003.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law-1.77above 3% of countries
  • Political stability-0.60above 22% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-2.11above 0% of countries
  • Control of corruption-1.61above 2% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Mining in Eritrea at a glance

Mining law
Minerals Proclamation No. 68/1995 (amended by Proclamation No. 165/2011). Proclamation 68/1995 sets the mining regime; Proclamation 165/2011 amended it. The Mining Income Tax Proclamation is No. 69/1995. Source: USGS
State mining company
Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO). ENAMCO held 45% of the Bisha mine company (Zijin Mining 55%) and 40% of Zara Mining, which runs the Koka gold mine (SFECO 60%). Source: USGS
Main mines
Bisha (zinc, copper, silver, gold) Source: USGS
Signature minerals
copper, gold, zinc 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.

History of mining in Eritrea

What the ground holds. copper, gold, potash, salt and zinc. Source: USGS

How prospectors changed the worldThe full mining timeline

Mining elsewhere in Africa

South AfricaDR CongoMozambiqueGhanaMadagascarRwandaNigeriaGuineaMoroccoTanzania

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.

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