Mining by country

Mining in Iceland

What Iceland mines: silicon (1.4% of world output, #8).

Mineral rents0%of GDP, 2021. Higher than 0% of countries.
Ores and metals36%of merchandise exports, 2025.
Biggest world roleSilicon1.4% of world mine output, #8, 2025.
World top-3 producer of0minerals we track.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law+1.61above 94% of countries
  • Political stability+1.32above 94% of countries
  • Regulatory quality+1.06above 86% of countries
  • Control of corruption+1.82above 95% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Mining in Iceland at a glance

Mining jobs02019. Share of employed population in mining and quarrying; 0.9% worked in metals manufacturing.Source: USGS
Main mines
No metal mines. Three aluminium smelters operated: Alcoa Fjardaal at Reydarfjordur (344,000 t/yr), Century Aluminum at Grundartangi (317,000 t/yr) and Rio Tinto's ISAL at Straumsvik (212,000 t/yr). 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
Silicon1.4%82025

Silicon mining in Iceland

Iceland mined 1.4% of the world's silicon in 2025, ranking #8 (USGS).

History of mining in Iceland

What the ground holds. aluminium (smelted metal), ferrosilicon and silicon metal. Source: USGS

How prospectors changed the worldThe full mining timeline

Mining elsewhere in Europe

RussiaSpainSwedenGermanyNorwayPolandAustriaPortugalFranceUkraine

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.