Top Diamond-Producing Countries in the World
Diamonds—one of the most precious and captivating gemstones—have maintained their timeless appeal, adorning everything from fine jewelry to royal crowns. In 2020 alone, around 142 million carats of diamonds were mined globally. Interestingly, the majority of these diamonds are used in industrial applications rather than luxury items.
According to data from the French science-based website Futura Sciences, the top 10 diamond-producing countries in 2020 were:
- Russia – The world’s largest diamond producer, with 23 million carats mined in 2020.
- Botswana – Produced 16 million carats: home to the highly valuable Jwaneng mine.
- Canada – Mined 13 million carats from its remote northern mines.
- Angola – Extracted 8.5 million carats, including rare pink diamonds from the Lulo mine.
- South Africa – Produced 7.7 million carats: known for rare blue diamonds.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – Yielded 3.7 million carats; though the quality is lower, volume remains notable.
- Namibia – Produced 1.9 million carats, mostly from coastal deposits.
- Lesotho – Mined 1.1 million carats; known for large, high-quality stones like the “Lesotho Legend.”
- Australia – Extracted 340,000 carats: famous for pink diamonds from the now-closed Argyle mine.
- Tanzania – Produced 260,000 carats; Williamson mine remains one of the oldest active mines.
Together, these countries dominate the global diamond supply, although much of the extracted diamonds are destined for industrial rather than decorative use.
