Zinc is the twenty-fourth most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust.Bluish white in color, not very hard, zinc is one of the most widely used metals. It is used to form a number of alloys and is an important constituent in the production of electrical fuses, meter cases, roofing, gutters etc.
The metal is also used as a fungicide, herbicide and rodenticide.
Zinc is the fourth-most common metal in use with an annual production of about 12 million tonnes. The world consumption of zinc is around 10774000 tons. China, United States, and Japan are the largest consumers of zinc.
The World Map of Zinc Producing Countries shows the list of the major countries that produce large quantities of zinc.
As the data in the map shows, China is the world’s largest zinc producer; in 2010, the country produced 3500 thousand metric tonnes of zinc.
The second-largest zinc-producing nation is Peru while the third place is occupied by Australia.
India ranks fourth in zinc production followed by the United States, Canada, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, and Ireland.
Zinc is an essential mineral required by the human body, the deficiency of which can cause a multiple diseases.
WORLD MAJOR PRODUCERS OF ZINC-2010
| COUNTRY | PRODUCTION IN THOUSAND METRIC TONNES |
| China | 3500 |
| Peru | 1520 |
| Australia | 1450 |
| India | 750 |
| United States | 720 |
| Canada | 670 |
| Mexico | 550 |
| Kazakhstan | 480 |
| Bolivia | 430 |
| Ireland | 350 |
| Other Countries | 1580 |
| World Total (rounded) | 12000 |
