Top 5 Largest Lithium Reserves by Country

Those interested in the lithium sector and investing in lithium stocks are often curious about which countries are the top producers of the battery metal, but they may not stop to consider the top lithium reserves by country.

Major lithium-producing countries are, of course, home to a large number of lithium companies. Many of the world’s top lithium producers also hold significant reserves, and their reserves can give an idea of how much room those countries have to grow. At the same time, nations with high reserves may become more significant lithium players in the future.

Lithium is a key raw material in the lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles and the energy storage sector, together with battery metals such as cobalt and nickel.

Global lithium production and reserves have increased significantly in the last decade as companies worked to meet battery demand. While oversupply led to decreased prices and production cuts at some mines, the lithium market is seeing a turn-around in 2026.

“Lithium prices appear to have moved ahead of the fundamentals, propelled by speculative buying, bullish sentiment and a backdrop of heightened geopolitical risk. Yet we may also be finally witnessing demand catch up with the supply surge of recent years,” Fastmarkets’ Paul Lusty wrote in a January 2026 update.

On that note, here’s an overview of lithium reserves by country, with a focus on the five countries that host the world’s largest lithium deposits. Lithium reserves data is based on the US Geological Survey’s latest Mineral Commodity Summary and refers to contained lithium content in economic reserves.

Total worldwide lithium reserves stand at 37 million metric tons as of 2025, a significant increase over the 30 million metric tons reported in 2024 due to upward revisions to many countries’ reserves. These gains were also seen in global lithium resources, which are detailed following the reserves list.