commodity

Manganese

Essential to steelmaking, where it removes sulphur and adds strength, and a growing input to battery cathodes. South Africa and Gabon mine most of it.

Figures checked 1 November 2026Next check Feb 2027, after USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2027

Key figures

Each figure shows where it comes from and which year it describes.

~20 Mt

of manganese content was mined in 2025.

USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · 2025 estimate

38%

of mined manganese came from South Africa, about 7.6 Mt.

USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, our calculation · 2025 estimate

25%

came from Gabon, about 5.0 Mt.

USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, our calculation · 2025 estimate

~90%

of manganese demand comes from steelmaking.

International Manganese Institute · typical share

Supply chain explainer

Interactive · 6 stages

Mined at 45%. Alloyed at 75%. Built in at 1%.

Six stages from manganese ore to steel parts, plus the battery route, with manganese content and the record that moves at each handover.

Open the explainer Download the share image (1080 × 1350 PNG)

Mine30–50%
Shipping30–50%
Ferroalloy smelter60–82%
Steel mill0.3–1.6%
Fabricator0.3–1.6%
End customers0.3–1.6%

Update log

What changed on this page, and when.

Feb 2027
Scheduled
Check production figures against USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2027.
1 Nov 2026
Published
Page published with the supply chain explainer and key figures from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.

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Sources

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