Prospector Trails
Mining by country/South America
It is in the world top three for silver (#2), copper (#3), zinc (#2), tin (#3). The story below follows its minerals from the ground to the economy, the export ports and the mines.
01 · What it digs
Peru mined 15% of the world's molybdenum in 2025, ranking #4. Across the 34 minerals we track it holds a share of at least 0.5% in 9.
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, mine stage, latest year per mineral. Columns on the globe: every producer of molybdenum.
02 · Mining in the economy
Mineral rents came to 12% of Peru's GDP in 2021, higher than 95% of the countries the World Bank reports; ores and metals made up 48% of its merchandise exports in 2024. GDP was $335bn in 2025.
World Bank WDI: mineral rents (NY.GDP.MINR.RT.ZS) and ores and metals exports (TX.VAL.MMTL.ZS.UN). The globe shades every country by mineral rents.
03 · Six years of output
Mine production, molybdenum, silver, copper, zinc, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 to 2026 (each year as last reported).
04 · Where it goes
Its largest mineral export line in the trade data is copper: $17.3bn in 2024, led by China ($15.4bn), Japan ($1.8bn).
CEPII BACI bilateral trade, by value; arcs run from Peru to the buyer.
05 · Jurisdiction
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators put Peru at -0.66 on rule of law in 2025, higher than 30% of countries. These are perception-based estimates on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5; they describe the operating environment, not any company.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators. The globe shades every country by rule of law.
06 · Mines and projects
39 mines in Peru have output figures in open mine databases; the largest by reported output are below. Listed companies hold 0 projects here, shown as dots.
What Peru mines: molybdenum (15% of world output, #4), silver (14% of world output, #2), copper (12% of world output, #3), zinc (12% of world output, #2). Mineral rents are 12% of GDP. Below: 39 mines from open mine databases.
Peru in numbers: the infographic
| Mineral | World share | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molybdenum | 15% | 4 | 2025 |
| Silver | 14% | 2 | 2025 |
| Copper | 12% | 3 | 2025 |
| Zinc | 12% | 2 | 2025 |
| Tin | 11% | 3 | 2025 |
| Lead | 6.4% | 3 | 2025 |
| Gold | 3.3% | 10 | 2025 |
| Phosphate rock | 1.9% | 9 | 2025 |
| Iron ore | 0.9% | 12 | 2025 |
| Mine | Minerals | Operator | Latest published output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpamarca | Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper | 46.5 t (2018) | |
| Antapaccay | Copper, Gold, Silver | 197,600 t (2019) | |
| Antapite | Gold, Silver | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 0.016 t (2013) |
| Bayovar | Phosphate rock | 3,546,000 t (2013) | |
| Breapampa | Gold, Silver | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 0.428 t (2015) |
| Cerro de Pasco | Zinc, Silver, Lead, Copper, Gold | 11,200 t (2018) | |
| Chungar | Zinc, Silver, Copper, Lead | 57,460 t (2018) | |
| Conga | Gold, Silver, Copper | ||
| Constancia | Copper, Silver, Gold, Molybdenum | 113,825 t (2019) | |
| Cuajone | Copper, Molybdenum, Silver | 156,400 t (2019) | |
| Haquira | Copper, Gold, Molybdenum, Silver | ||
| Huaron | Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Gold | 107 t (2019) | |
| Ishihuinca | Gold, Copper, Lead, Zinc | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 0.125 t (2012) |
| Julcani | Silver, Gold, Copper, Lead | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 81.1 t (2019) |
| La Arena | Gold | 5.54 t (2017) | |
| La Zanja | Gold, Silver | 0.98 t (2019) | |
| Lagunas Norte | Gold, Silver | Minera Barrick Misquichilca S.A. (MBM) | 7.62 t (2018) |
| Mallay | Silver, Lead, Zinc, Gold | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 16 t (2018) |
| Marcapunta | Copper, Silver, Gold | 43,394 t (2019) | |
| Morococha | Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Gold | 75.3 t (2019) | |
| Orcopampa | Gold, Silver, Copper | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 1.3 t (2019) |
| Pierina | Gold | 1.68 t (2015) | |
| Poracota | Gold, Silver | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 0.015 t (2013) |
| Pucarrajo | Zinc, Silver, Lead | 11,590 t (2001) | |
| Quellaveco | Copper | ||
| Quiruvilca | Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Gold | 8.35 t (2011) | |
| Recuperada | Silver, Lead, Zinc | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 14.4 t (2013) |
| Shahuindo | Gold, Silver | 2.24 t (2017) | |
| Shila-Paula | Gold, Silver | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 0.239 t (2013) |
| Tajo Norte | Zinc, Silver, Lead | 43,580 t (2019) | |
| Tambomayo | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 3.09 t (2019) |
| Tantahuatay | Gold, Silver | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 5.04 t (2019) |
| Tia Maria | Copper | ||
| Toquepala | Copper, Molybdenum, Silver | 231,700 t (2019) | |
| Uchucchacua | Silver, Lead, Zinc, Manganese | Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. | 331 t (2019) |
| Yanacocha | Gold, Silver | 14.9 t (2019) | |
| Yauli | Zinc, Silver, Copper, Lead | 140,291 t (2018) | |
| Yauricocha | Zinc, Silver, Copper, Lead, Gold | Sociedad Minera Corona S.A. | 36,779 t (2019) |
| Zafranal | Gold, Copper |
Copper minesGold minesIron ore minesLead minesMolybdenum minesPhosphate rock minesSilver minesTin minesZinc mines
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.