List of countries by thorium resources
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thorium resources are the estimated mineral reserves of thorium on Earth. Thorium is a future potential source of low-carbon energy.[1] Thorium has been demonstrated to perform as a nuclear fuel in several reactor designs.[2][3] It is present with a higher abundance than uranium in the crust of the earth. Thorium resources have not been estimated and assessed with a higher level of confidence, as in the case of uranium. Approximately 6 million tonnes of thorium have been estimated globally based on currently limited exploration and mainly on historical data.[4][5]
Thorium resources are found widely in over 35 countries all over the world, with India leading the chart. As there is currently negligible commercial use of thorium, the resources should be considered potentially viable according to the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources. Figures are given in metric tonnes of thorium metal.
| Country | Total thorium resources (tonnes Th) |
Per capita thorium (kg/person) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|
 Angola |
10,000 | 0.25 | [6] |
 Argentina |
35,910 | 0.78 | [7] |
 Australia |
595,000 | 22.8 | [8] |
 Brazil |
632,000 | 2.96 | [9] |
 Canada |
172,000 | 4.25 | [10] |
 China |
300,000 | 0.21 | [11] |
 DR Congo |
2,500 | 0.02 | [6] |
 Egypt |
380,000 | 3.16 | [12] |
 Finland |
60,000 | 10.9 | [13] |
 France |
1,000 | 0.015 | [14] |
 Greenland (Denmark) |
86,000 | 1510 | [15] |
 India |
846,477 | 0.57 | [16] |
 Iran |
30,000 | 0.32 | [17] |
 Kenya |
8,000 | 0.14 | [12] |
 Kazakhstan |
50,000 | 2.63 | [18] |
 Madagascar |
22,000 | 0.71 | [19] |
 Malawi |
9,000 | 0.45 | [20] |
 Malaysia |
18,000 | 0.53 | [21] |
 Morocco |
30,000 | 0.77 | [20] |
 Mozambique |
10,000 | 0.30 | [22] |
 Nigeria |
29,000 | 0.12 | [22] |
 Norway |
87,000 | 15.8 | [23] |
 Peru |
20,000 | 0.60 | [24] |
 Russia |
155,000 | 1.08 | [25][26] |
 South Africa |
148,000 | 2.26 | [27] |
 South Korea |
6,000 | 0.12 | [28] |
 Sri Lanka |
4,000 | 0.18 | [26] |
 Sweden |
50,000 | 4.75 | [29] |
 Taiwan |
9,000 | 0.38 | [18] |
 Thailand |
10,000 | 0.14 | [30] |
 Turkey |
381,000 | 4.33 | [31] |
 United States |
595,000 | 1.70 | [32] |
 Uruguay |
3,000 | 0.86 | [24] |
 Uzbekistan |
5,000 | 0.14 | [33] |
 Venezuela |
300,000 | 10.5 | [24] |
 Vietnam |
5,000 | 0.05 | [33] |
| Others (Africa) | 1,000 | [18] | |
| Others (CIS) (excluding Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) |
1,340,000 | [18] | |
| Total | 6,245,887 |