NewStats: 3,262,703 , 8,177,908 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 10:34 AM 2r3j6d

Natural resources are commodities, or the raw inputs used to manufacture everything from intermediate goods to finished products.

Renewable resources are those whose supply is not diminished by use, including solar power, wind power, and hydroelectric energy. Nonrenewable resources like fossil fuels and mined metals are found in finite reserves depleted by extraction.

Natural resources are found throughout the world. Investors can access natural resource investments through mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and pure-play companies.

Here are the 10 countries with the most valuable natural resource reserves by total estimated value as of 2021, according to Statista.


1. Russia
Russia's natural resources reserves are worth $75 trillion by Statista's estimate.

This amount incorporates, among other things, coal, oil, natural gas, gold, timber, and rare earth metals. Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment estimated the total value of the country's mineral reserves at the end of 2018 to equal $1.44 trillion.

Russia holds the world's largest proved natural gas reserves at 1.32 quadrillion cubic feet, ing for nearly 20% of the global total as of 2020. Russia also has the second largest gold reserves at 6,800 tons, or more than 13% of global total as of 2023.

Russia was the world's third-largest crude oil producer at 12% of global supply in 2020. Russsia's proved oil reserves were the world's sixth largest at an estimated 107.8 billion barrels. In industrial diamonds, the country ed for 37% of 2022 global production and 46% of the commodity's reserves

2. United States
The estimated value of natural resources in the U. S. is $45 trillion, almost 90% of which are timber and coal. In fact, the U.S. is the leading producer of coal.

As of 2020, it had the largest proven coal reserves in the world. Other resources include substantial copper, gold, oil, and natural gas deposits. Also making the list are lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, and arable land.

3. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a small country in the Middle East and is slightly larger than Mexico. Saudi Arabia has $34.4 trillion worth of natural resources—notably oil. The nation has been a leading exporter ever since oil was discovered in 1938.

With 15% of the world's reserves as of 2020, the country's economy depends heavily on its oil exports. Saudi Arabia's other natural resources include copper, feldspar, phosphate, silver, sulfur, tungsten, and zinc.

4. Canada
Fourth on the list is Canada. This vast country has an estimated $33.2 trillion worth of natural resources.

It has the third-largest oil deposits after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. The commodities that the country owns include industrial minerals, such as gypsum, limestone, rock salt, and potash, as well as energy minerals, such as coal and uranium.

Metals in Canada include copper, lead, nickel, and zinc, and precious metals like gold and silver.
Canada is a leading producer of natural gas.

5. Iran
Iran's natural resources are worth an estimated $27.3 trillion. In 2021, this country was the fifth-largest crude oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the world's second-largest natural gas producer.

Other natural resources include coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, and sulfur.
Arable land, pistachios, saffron, and fruits also contribute to the estimated value.


6. China
China has natural resources estimated to be worth $23 trillion.
Ninety percent of China's resources are coal and rare earth metals. Timber is another major natural resource found in the country, as is arable land.

Also, due to its natural resource of water, it has the world's greatest hydropower potential.
Other resources that China possesses include oil and natural gas, and immense amounts of metals such as gold and aluminum and minerals.

7. Brazil
Brazil has natural resources worth $21.8 trillion. including gold, iron, oil, and uranium.
In 2021, Brazil was the ninth-largest oil producer in the world.

A 2018 estimate found that 61.9% of its land was forested and 23.5% was permanent pasture.
Its mining industry focuses on bauxite, platinum, copper, gold, iron, and tin. Timber is also a valuable natural resource. Brazil has an immense installed capacity of hydroelectric power production.

8. Australia
Australia has an estimated $19.9 trillion in natural resources that include coal, timber, copper, iron ore, gold, and uranium.

Australia, which is about 80% the size of the United States, is a large producer of oil and liquified natural gas. Its proved oil reserves measured 2.4 billion barrels at the end of 2021.
The country is also the largest net exporter of coal, with 29% of global coal exports. Its other natural resources include alumina, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, and diamonds.

9. Iraq
Iraq possesses $15.9 trillion in natural resources.

Its desert terrain holds petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, and sulfur. Iraq is the second-largest crude oil producer in OPEC. It ranks as the world’s sixthfifthlargest holder of proved crude oil reserves and it depends on the export of crude oil for a major amount of its revenues.

10. Venezuela
This South American country has natural resources estimated at $14.3 trillion. They include iron, natural gas, and oil.

In 2023, it had the largest proved oil reserves on the globe, although actual production has fallen as a result of U.S. sanctions. Venezuela also has significant reserves of natural gas.
Other natural resources include iron ore, gold, bauxite, hydropower, and diamonds.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/090516/10-countries-most-natural-resources.asp

Though DRC is not listed in this article but the Democratic Republic of Congo is considered to be one of the richest countries in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of U.S. $24 trillion.

Cobalt: DRC Controls 70% of global reserves, making it the world's largest producer.

Coltan (Columbite-Tantalite): Holds 70% of the world's reserves, essential for electronics manufacturing

The rare mineral is used to manufacture electric car batteries, mobile phones and other electronic devices, no wonder the country is enmeshed in conflict


As for Nigeria, Nigeria's solid minerals wealth is valued at $750bn, according to Alake. Minister of Solid Minerals Development

Russia is the most naturally endowed country no wonder economic sanctions does not work on them

E con be like say, the bigger the country,the bigger the natural resources. Most of those countries are in the top 5 biggest in d world by land mass.

I tot we are made to believe Africa has the most natural resources in the world. I really doubt this stat. Apart from oil,wat other resources does Iran have. Abeg na fake stat

Okay

Where is Nigeria? This is fake if Nigeria is not in top 5

Europeans have alot of natural resources but doesn’t even see much need for it yet since african countries are doing giveaway with theirs

Congo are begging Americans for military aid in exchange for natural resources, shame

Why is Africa so backwarded, all blacks seems to be very selfish

We produce more population and doesn’t even have anything to fend it, no planning just selfishness


Shame to Africans soon we’ll burn out our natural resources and poverty will eat us completely

Yet some of them are 2nd world countries

Where is Nigeria on this table?

I can see why these countries are working well with good transport systems and infrastructures

K

God1000:


https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/090516/10-countries-most-natural-resources.asp

When people say Africa is rich, I just laugh. Africa is not blessed with resources, comparatively speaking. Our land is also the least fertile and our huge land mass has the fewest navigable rivers. Plus the interior is hot, prone to diseases and threatened by desert encroachment. I'm not even talking about the culture, which does not encourage technological and democratic progress.

Ok, I've said enough for the Africa-is-rich folk to chew on.

Congo?

Where is my country ?

Yingazima:
Shame on all Nigerians worldwide

Na so I expect comment like this ! Sorry for your life!

naija with there peanut resource no go let ppl hear word

Where is Biafra?

No African country at all.

Naija of all people nko?

God1000:


https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/090516/10-countries-most-natural-resources.asp

Now study the relationship between those countries and other country claiming to be the police of the world, I mean the Useless States of America.

DRC, if this world was normal, should be in the top five on that list.

where the fck is Nigeria

Don’t let the divided maps confuse you. Africa is the most resource rich continent in the world but is divided into smaller nations along colonial lines

5

So Nigeria no even dey among them.... Na wa oooo

AmalaAtiEwedu:
Where is Biafra?

the land of resources

God1000:
Though DRC is not listed in this article but the Democratic Republic of Congo is considered to be one of the richest countries in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of U.S. $24 trillion.

Cobalt: DRC Controls 70% of global reserves, making it the world's largest producer.

Coltan (Columbite-Tantalite): Holds 70% of the world's reserves, essential for electronics manufacturing

The rare mineral is used to manufacture electric car batteries, mobile phones and other electronic devices


As for Nigeria, Nigeria's solid minerals wealth is valued at $750bn, according to Alake. Minister of Solid Minerals Development

They won't list any Africa country because they don't want you to have an idea what you're worth

I thought we were the richest natural resource owners

Abba3point7:
the land of resources

Mpkurummiri resources
Human Resources (Baby factory)

Add lithium for USA.

Large deposit discovered in Winniemucca Nevada

Why do most European still come to african for same resource