Visualizing How Much Gold Is Left To Mine On Earth

This is nonsense.  Our known reserves are always measured in terms of what is in front of us for twenty years.  

The average mineral grade of the Cascade mountain range is at least two pounds of copper per ton.  Other metals are associated including gold.  Start digging folks.  just saying.  We even have a 2 billion ton economic copper deposit sitting in a national park.  likely waiting for Bingham Canyon to run out.

I have stood in that observation facility and looked two full miles across to the other edge and the mind des not really comprehend the scale.  Even the string of three hundred ton mine trucks coming out.

The Cascades will have ample epithetrmal gold vdeposits yet undiscovered.  remote sensing tech will crack those.  We may need a new mining law in the USA.

Visualizing How Much Gold Is Left To Mine On Earth

Friday, Nov 07, 2025 - 03:55 AM

https://www.zerohedge.com/precious-metals/visualizing-how-much-gold-left-mine-earth

Gold’s scarcity is one reason it remains a sought-after safe haven. In 2025, the metal has seen its strongest rally in years, climbing over 50% as global investors react to uncertainty in the world economy.

If all the gold ever mined were melted together—about 216,000 tonnes—it would form a cube only 22 meters tall, roughly the height of a four-story building.

Meanwhile, the world’s proven, economically recoverable gold reserves total around 64,000 tonnes, forming a smaller 15-meter cube.

In this infographic, Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti uses data from the World Gold Council and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with additional historical context from Encyclopaedia Britannica, to put the total quantity of gold into perspective.

How Much Gold Exists—and How Much Is Left

Nearly three-quarters of all known gold has already been extracted. As new discoveries become rarer and mining costs rise, the focus increasingly shifts to recycling and improving recovery technology.

The Modern Era Drove Most Extraction

Two-thirds of all gold ever mined has been extracted since 1950, thanks to technological advances and industrial demand. The post-war era ushered in large-scale open-pit mines and efficient refining techniques. Today, extraction rates are slowing as ore grades decline, but the overall above-ground stock continues to grow slowly each year.

Of all gold mined, about 45% exists as jewelry, while 22% is held as bars and coins. Central banks collectively own about 17%, using gold as a strategic hedge against inflation and geopolitical instability. Gold is also use in technology and other industries, powering electronics and aerospace components.

Gold’s Rally in 2025

Gold prices hit $4,000 for the first time ever in 2025, as investors sought a safe haven from a weaker dollar, geopolitical volatility, and economic uncertainty.

At the same time, China and other countries have been diversifying away from U.S. Treasuries and into gold, following Washington’s stiff sanctions on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Retail investors have also piled into gold as a hedge against stubborn inflation.

Can More Gold Be Found?

Although economic gold reserves in the ground sit at around 64,000 tonnes, this doesn’t count all the gold left.

There are more undiscovered gold deposits out there, and as the price of gold rises, smaller or low-grade deposits become more economically feasible to mine. High prices also create the incentive for explorers to look for more gold, which leads to new discoveries.