Shares of global material extraction by world region, 1980-2013

The analysis of regional trends in material extraction illustrates that Asia's share in global material extraction has increased remarkably, particularly since the early 2000s, as a consequence of rapid industrialisation in countries such as China and India. In China, for example, between 1980 and 2013, extraction of minerals increased by almost 3,000%, as a consequence of huge increases in demand in particular for construction purposes. Also extraction of fossil fuels, metal ores and biomass grew by 380%, 1,400% and 120%, respectively. The total increase in used extraction was 780%, as compared to an increase of around 210% in India. Also in that country, extraction of minerals showed the largest increase (1,000%).

Absolute material extraction grew only marginally within Europe (1%), thus reducing the share of Europe in worldwide material extraction massively (from 19% in 1980 to 8% in 2013), mainly reflecting a reduction of fossils fuel extraction. At the same time, extraction of biomass within Europe increased by 17%. The share of North America declined from 18% to 9%, the one of Africa from 8% to 7%.

Note: from 1992 on, the ex-USSR countries Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine, formerly part of the region "Asia", are part of the region "Europe".