Gold Per Capita
USGS historical series

123 years of gold mining

USGS history shows world gold mine production increasing from 386 metric tonnes in 1900 to 3,160 tonnes in 2022. U.S. output rose in absolute terms, but its share of the world total fell sharply.

Coverage1900–2022Primary sourceU.S. Geological Survey Data Series 140Published2026-08-15
Download full infographic865 × 1,818 px · WebP
Full Gold Per Capita infographic showing an 8.2-fold increase in world gold mine production, one shared-scale chart from 386 tonnes in 1900 to the 3,310-tonne 2018 peak and 3,160 tonnes in 2022, declining U.S. share and flow-versus-stock guidance.
123 Years of Gold Mining. This clarity revision replaces decorative strata with one conventional, labeled production chart using a shared scale.
Accessible data and long descriptionOpen the chart, key statistics and interpretation notes

The poster compares six selected years from the annual USGS series on one conventional chart, highlights the 2018 peak of 3,310 tonnes, shows the U.S. share falling from 31.1% in 1900 to 5.5% in 2022, and distinguishes annual mine flow from above-ground stock.

1900 world output386 tMetric tonnes of metal content
2022 world output3,160 t8.2× the 1900 total
U.S. share in 20225.5%173 metric tonnes
World gold mine production in metric tonnesWorld gold mine production in metric tonnes from 1900 through 2022. It begins at 386, peaks at 3,310 in 2018, and ends at 3,160.08281,6552,4833,310Peak 3,310 · 201819002022
World gold mine production in metric tonnes. Hover-free, source-backed values are also available in the linked data table and downloads.
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Suggested citation

Gold Per Capita. “123 years of gold mining.” 2026-08-15. https://goldpercapita.com/infographics/world-gold-production-1900-2022

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