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Nickel

Use

Nickel is mainly used for stainless steel. It is also used as an alloying agent for metal products (with and without iron). Another use is electroplating, in which a thin layer of nickel is coated onto a metal object as a decorative feature or to provide resistance to corrosion and wear. Finally, nickel is well known to be a component of nickel-cadmium batteries, but an important evolving use is the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles which will probably in the future become a more important part of the use of Nickel.

chart with the different usage of Nickel

Nickel price

Nickel Monthly Price in US Dollars per Dry Metric Ton

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Description: Nickel (LME), cathodes, minimum 99.8% purity, settlement price beginning 2005; previously cash price

Source: Platts Metals Week, Thomson Reuters Datastream; World Bank.

Producers countries in the world

Rank	Country	Production by country in 2018 (metric tons)
1	Indonesia	560 000
2	Philippines	340 000
3	New Caledonia (France)	210 000
4	Russia	210 000
5	Other Countries	180 000
6	Australia	170 000
7	Canada	160 000
8	China	110 000
9	Brazil	80 000
10	Cuba	53 000
11	Guatemala	49 000
12	Finland	46 000
13	South Africa	44 000
14	Colombia	43 000
15	Madagascar	39 000
16	United States	19 000

Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Resources Program

Map of the Nickel production by country

Map with the major Nickel deposits in the world

Nickel reserves by country

Rank	Country	Production by country in 2018 (metric tons)
1	Indonesia	21 000 000
2	Australia	19 000 000
3	Brazil	11 000 000
4	Russia	7 600 000
5	Other countries	6 500 000
6	Cuba	5 500 000
7	Philippines	4 800 000
8	South Africa	3 700 000
9	China	2 800 000
10	Canada	2 700 000
11	Guatemala	1 800 000
12	Madagascar	1 600 000
13	Colombia	440 000
14	United States	110 000

Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Resources Program