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Industry category
Chemicals & Resources
Chemicals & Resources
industry statistics and market data
Sourced statistics on the chemical industry, oil and gas, coal, mining and metals, plastics and fertilisers. Production, prices, reserves, trade and the companies and countries that lead each market, with the original source named on every chart.
Overview
Why chemicals and resources statistics matter
Chemicals and natural resources sit at the start of almost every supply chain. Crude oil and natural gas fuel transport and power generation and are the feedstock for plastics and fertilisers. Iron ore, copper, aluminium and nickel go into buildings, vehicles, grids and electronics. Basic chemicals such as ethylene, ammonia, chlorine and sulphuric acid are the intermediate inputs behind consumer goods, agriculture and construction. When prices or supply in these markets move, the effect shows up months later in manufacturing costs, inflation and trade balances.
This category brings together the statistics that describe those markets: how much is produced and where, what it costs, who buys and sells it, and how demand is shifting as the energy transition changes what the world needs from its resource base. Lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths, once niche, are now tracked as closely as oil because of batteries and wind turbines, while demand for coal and some petrochemicals is diverging sharply between regions.
Every chart names the organisation that produced the underlying data and the date it was published, and distinguishes reported figures from estimates and forecasts. Use the topic links above to narrow the list, or scroll to the latest statistics below.
Latest statistics
Chemicals & Resources charts and data
Newest first. Each chart links to its full page with source and notes.
Topics
What this category covers
Six areas make up the Chemicals & Resources category. Each block lists the indicators we track most often so you know what to expect before opening a chart.
Chemical industry
Basic and specialty chemicals, petrochemicals and industrial gases: the intermediate products that feed manufacturing, agriculture and construction.
Indicators: output by country, revenue of leading producers, ethylene and ammonia capacity, chemical trade balance
Oil & gas
Crude oil, natural gas and refined products from wellhead to pump, including OPEC decisions, LNG trade and refining margins.
Indicators: Brent, WTI and OPEC basket prices, production by country, proven reserves, exports and imports, rig counts
Coal
Thermal and metallurgical coal production, consumption and trade, and how demand differs between Asia, Europe and North America.
Indicators: production and consumption by country, share of electricity generation, seaborne trade, prices
Mining & metals
Iron ore, steel, copper, aluminium, nickel, zinc, gold and silver: mine output, smelting, prices and the companies that dominate supply.
Indicators: mine production by country, metal prices, reserves, largest mining companies, steel output
Plastics & materials
Polymer production, plastic waste and recycling rates, and demand for packaging, construction and automotive materials.
Indicators: plastics production by region, recycling rates, resin prices, leading producers
Fertilisers & battery materials
Nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilisers alongside lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths, the inputs for food and the energy transition.
Indicators: fertiliser production and prices, lithium and cobalt supply by country, rare earth output, EV battery demand
Data sources
Where the figures in this category come from
We use the organisations that produce or collect the primary data. The specific source and its publication date are shown on each chart.
International Energy Agency (IEA)
Oil, gas, coal and critical minerals supply, demand and outlooks.
OPEC
Reference basket price, member production and monthly oil market reports.
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
WTI and Brent spot prices, U.S. production, reserves and trade.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Mineral commodity summaries: mine production and reserves by country.
National statistical offices
Industrial production, chemical output and trade statistics by country.
Industry associations
Chemical, steel, fertiliser and plastics industry bodies' annual data.
Company reports
Annual reports and filings of the largest producers for revenue and output.
World Bank and IMF
Commodity price indices and macro context for resource-exporting economies.
Questions
Chemicals & Resources statistics: common questions
What does the Chemicals & Resources category cover?
Statistics on the chemical industry, oil and gas, coal, mining and metals, plastics and materials, and fertilisers and agrochemicals. That includes production volumes, prices, trade flows, capacity and reserves, and the leading producing countries and companies in each market.
Where does the data in this category come from?
Primary sources such as the International Energy Agency, OPEC, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, national statistical offices, industry associations and company annual reports. The source and publication date are shown on every chart so you can check the figure yourself.
How often are these statistics updated?
Commodity price series such as crude oil are refreshed regularly. Annual production, reserves and trade statistics are updated when the source organisation publishes new figures. Each chart shows the date of its last update.
Can I cite these statistics in my own work?
Yes. Reference them in reports, articles and academic work with credit to Business Stats and the original source named on the chart. For commercial reuse of full charts or datasets, contact us first.