Mining by country

Mining in Nauru

Mining in Nauru: the public figures we hold so far. The World Bank puts mineral rents close to zero (2021). No world production share, mine or listed company project is recorded here yet.

Mineral rents0%of GDP, 2021. Higher than 0% of countries.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law+0.27above 59% of countries
  • Political stability+1.22above 88% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-0.58above 32% of countries
  • Control of corruption+0.46above 65% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Mining in Nauru at a glance

Defining moment
Nauru takes over its phosphate industry (1970). From 1 July 1970 Nauru ran its own phosphate operation after buying the assets under the 1967 Nauru Phosphate Agreement. Source: The National Archives
Mining law
RONPHOS Act 2005. Legislative framework under which RONPHOS operates. Source: USGS
State mining company
Republic of Nauru Phosphate Corporation (RONPHOS). Government, 100%. Source: USGS
Nationalisations
Phosphate assets bought by Nauru under the Nauru Phosphate Agreement 1967 (1970). A purchase by agreement rather than expropriation; control passed on 1 July 1970. Source: The National Archives

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 Nauru

What the ground holds. phosphate Source: USGS

How prospectors changed the worldThe full mining timeline

Mining elsewhere in Oceania

AustraliaPapua New GuineaNew ZealandNew CaledoniaPalauSolomon IslandsCook IslandsFijiFrench PolynesiaKiribati

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.