The 7th edition of ICMM’s Mining Contribution Index (MCI) ranks countries by mining’s role in their economies, highlighting the need for strong governance to ensure sustainable development.
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining's contribution to sustainable development (2nd Edition, 2014)
24 October 2014
This report provides an overview of the nature of the mining and metals industry and its economic contribution.
- This edition offers deeper analysis of the role of mining in poverty reduction, which is the highest priority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Section 1 provides an overview of the nature of the mining and metals industry and its contribution.
- Section 2 describes the current global context for mining, with a review of trends in the value of world production and among major producer countries and how they have evolved in the past two years. It examines the relative roles of changes in production volumes and prices in driving production values by looking at three selected countries: Brazil (where iron ore dominates), Ghana (gold) and Zambia (copper).
- Section 3 focuses on the elements of the economic contribution that mining makes at the national level. It discusses the major macro-level contributions from mining. It considers the challenges of obtaining reliable data on these contributions, drawing from the example of Zambia, which ranked number 1 in the original MCI (published 2012) and where ICMM applied the Mining: Partnerships for Development Toolkit (ICMM 2013).
- A revised MCI is presented in Section 4, including a broadened scope of countries (214) and minerals.
- Section 5 provides specific insights on mining as an economic catalyst and the role of mining and metals in poverty reduction – the priority issue of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Section 6, presents the perspectives of five commentators who assess the usefulness of the MCI, the data and limitations that should be addressed in the future.
Role of mining in national economies reports
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining Contribution Index (6th Edition, 2022)
This edition of ICMM's Mining Contribution Index synthesises into a single number the significance of the mining sector’s contribution to national economies.
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining Contribution Index (5th Edition, 2020)
This edition of ICMM's Mining Contribution Index synthesises into a single number the significance of the mining sector’s contribution to national economies.
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining Contribution Index (4th Edition, 2018)
This update to ICMM's Mining Contribution Index ranks countries according to the importance of mining to the national economy.
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining Contribution Index (3rd Edition, 2016)
This edition shows the significant contribution of mining and metals to national economies and provides an update to ICMM's Mining Contribution Index.
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining Contribution Index (2nd Edition, 2014)
This edition shows the significant contribution of mining and metals to national economies and provides an update to ICMM's Mining Contribution Index.
Role of Mining in National Economies: Mining Contribution Index (1st Edition, 2012)
This report looks at the contribution of mining and metals to national economies.
