Commodity Origins

How concentrated is each commodity?

For 20 of the 90 commodities with production data here, a single country produces more than half of the world total, and China is that country for 7 of them. The middle commodity has 72% of its output in the five largest producers, and only 10 have a top five below half. The most concentrated is graphite, where China makes 78%.

Concentration matters because a supply shock in one place, whether weather, policy or a plant closure, reaches the whole world price when that place is a large share of the total. A commodity spread over dozens of similar-sized producers absorbs the same shock far more easily. Click a heading to sort.

Top producer's share of world production for every commodity
CommodityLargest producerIts shareTop five togetherCountries reportingYearSource
GraphiteChina78%93%182025USGS
ClovesIndonesia74%98%92024FAOSTAT
CobaltDR Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)74%93%122025USGS
PlatinumSouth Africa73%100%52025USGS
YamsNigeria71%95%602024FAOSTAT
Rare earthsChina69%97%122025USGS
QuinoaPeru69%100%42024FAOSTAT
NickelIndonesia67%86%92025USGS
ChickpeasIndia65%87%472024FAOSTAT
AluminumChina61%80%122025USGS
Palm kernel oilIndonesia59%92%462023FAOSTAT
Palm oilIndonesia59%91%482023FAOSTAT
HazelnutsTurkey (Türkiye)59%89%392024FAOSTAT
JuteBangladesh56%99%182024FAOSTAT
SilkIndia56%98%222024FAOSTAT
PlywoodChina53%79%2232024FAOSTAT forestry
ApplesChina52%68%942024FAOSTAT
SteelChina52%72%112025USGS
CoalChina52%82%342025Energy Institute
AlmondsUnited States51%79%612024FAOSTAT
TeaChina50%86%472024FAOSTAT
GingerIndia48%85%432024FAOSTAT
PorkChina46%68%1712024FAOSTAT
ChromiumSouth Africa45%86%72025USGS
MangoesIndia45%66%1012024FAOSTAT
Phosphate rockChina44%77%242025USGS
PalladiumRussia44%100%52025USGS
VanillaMadagascar43%85%152024FAOSTAT
LeadChina42%71%122025USGS
SisalBrazil40%89%242024FAOSTAT
LinseedRussia39%86%532024FAOSTAT
Coconut oilPhilippines39%87%682023FAOSTAT
Iron oreAustralia38%82%172025USGS
CinnamonChina38%100%102024FAOSTAT
ManganeseSouth Africa38%85%82025USGS
TobaccoChina37%70%1302024FAOSTAT
MolybdenumChina37%90%152025USGS
SoybeansBrazil36%87%1082024FAOSTAT
CocoaIvory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)36%73%572024FAOSTAT
PistachiosUnited States36%99%182024FAOSTAT
EggsChina35%62%1722024FAOSTAT
PeanutsChina34%71%1082024FAOSTAT
BauxiteGuinea34%89%132025USGS
TomatoesChina33%61%1682024FAOSTAT
Olive oilSpain33%72%362023FAOSTAT
Natural rubberThailand32%74%322024FAOSTAT
LithiumAustralia32%90%92025USGS
ZincChina32%64%102025USGS
Sunflower oilRussia31%73%832023FAOSTAT
CornUnited States31%73%1692024FAOSTAT
ShrimpChina31%78%1282024FAO FishStat
LentilsCanada31%81%432024FAOSTAT
PotashCanada31%82%122025USGS
CoffeeBrazil30%68%782024FAOSTAT
PepperVietnam28%70%472024FAOSTAT
CheeseUnited States28%55%952023FAOSTAT
BananasIndia27%53%1402024FAOSTAT
PlantainsUganda27%65%522024FAOSTAT
RiceIndia27%71%1352024FAOSTAT
Natural gasUnited States26%58%492025Energy Institute
AvocadosMexico25%63%952024FAOSTAT
TinChina24%76%142025USGS
PotatoesChina24%54%1542024FAOSTAT
SilverMexico24%62%142025USGS
HoneyChina24%46%1212024FAOSTAT
OrangesBrazil23%54%1352024FAOSTAT
CopperChile23%62%142025USGS
LambChina23%50%1762024FAOSTAT
CottonChina23%75%872023FAOSTAT
SugarBrazil22%57%1242023FAOSTAT
CashewsIvory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)22%66%352024FAOSTAT
GrapesChina22%52%962024FAOSTAT
CanolaCanada22%69%662024FAOSTAT
WoolChina21%54%692024FAOSTAT
Crude oilUnited States21%54%502025Energy Institute
FishmealPeru21%49%902024FAO FishStat
DatesSaudi Arabia19%68%362024FAOSTAT
CassavaNigeria18%54%972024FAOSTAT
BeefUnited States18%51%1892024FAOSTAT
WheatChina18%53%1232024FAOSTAT
MilkIndia17%44%1832024FAOSTAT
SawnwoodUnited States17%52%2272024FAOSTAT forestry
LogsUnited States16%52%1772024FAOSTAT forestry
ChickenUnited States16%47%1902024FAOSTAT
OatsCanada15%47%762024FAOSTAT
SorghumUnited States14%48%1162024FAOSTAT
Sesame seedIndia13%46%692024FAOSTAT
BarleyRussia12%41%1012024FAOSTAT
GoldChina12%40%132025USGS
PineapplesCosta Rica11%45%852024FAOSTAT

Production by country from FAOSTAT (crops, livestock, forestry), USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (minerals), the Energy Institute (energy) and FAO FishStat (fishmeal, shrimp); latest year in each source. "Countries reporting" counts countries with a reported figure, not every country that produces some. Uranium, orange juice and cardamom are left out because the production series behind them measures something else (nuclear generation, oranges, a mixed spice group).

More patterns

Every figure is computed from the same tables as the commodity pages. The full set is in patterns.json, and single facts from it appear each day on the facts page.