Lithium Ion Battery Statistics

by · Last updated June 7, 2023

Ever since Sony released the first commercial lithium-ion battery in 1991, the applications of this technology have widened considerably. From electric vehicles and mobility aids to portable electronics and power tools, lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized our daily lives, enabling the rise of a society free of fossil fuel use.

Today the lithium-ion battery market is valued at $77.14 billion, while global demand is estimated at 420 GWh. The market is expected to grow at double-digit CAGR through 2032, whereas demand is set to rise to 4.7 TWh.

Read more about the size and growth of the lithium-ion battery market as well as other fascinating statistics about this revolutionary technology in the article below.

7 Lithium-Ion Battery Statistics and Facts to Know

  • The global lithium-ion battery market will grow to $218.58 billion by 2028.
  • The global lithium-ion battery industry may support up to 18 million jobs by 2030.
  • China produced 79% of Li-ion batteries entering the global market in 2021.
  • Worldwide demand for Li-ion batteries is forecast to reach 4.700 GWh by 2030.​​
  • With 61,000 MT of lithium mined last year, Australia is the biggest lithium-producing country.
  • Producing a ton of lithium requires 500,000 gallons of water.
  • Nearly 60% of lithium is mined for batteries.

How Big is the Lithium Ion Market Size

1. The global lithium-ion battery market is worth around $77 billion.

(Research And Markets)

According to the latest estimates, the global lithium-ion battery market is valued at $77.14 billion. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.2% reaching $218.58 billion by 2028.

2. Revenue from the entire lithium-ion battery chain was an estimated $85 billion in 2022.

(McKinsey)

McKinsey’s latest report predicts that revenue from the lithium-ion battery chain, starting from mining through recycling, will grow by more than 30% annually between 2022 and 2030 when it should be worth over $400 billion.

Cell manufacturing and active materials are projected to have the largest revenue pools, accounting for 30% and 27% of the total, respectively. The recycling segment should also see an increase, growing more than three-fold by 2030.

3. Taking up 34% of the market, CATL is the leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer.

(Statista, AceOn Group)

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) is the leading Li-ion battery manufacturer, accounting for over a third of the market and supplying some of the biggest EV brands including BMW, Tesla, and Honda. Korean LG Energy Solution and Chinese BYD are up next with a market share of 14% and 12%, respectively, while Panasonic (10%) and SK Innovation (7%) round off the top five li-ion battery manufacturers.

In terms of battery manufacturing facilities, with an estimated production capacity of 37 GWh, the Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada was the biggest lithium-ion battery factory in 2020. It is followed by LG Chem in Poland (24 GWh) and CATL in China (24 GWh).

4. There are 5,163 employees working in the Li-ion battery manufacturing industry.

(Ibis World)

In 2023, the average company in the lithium-ion battery production industry in the US had around 112.2 employees. Even though the number of employees in the industry has declined by a slight 0.4% over the last five years, projections show the size of the workforce is set to increase as is the average salary.

5. The industry may support up to 18 million jobs by 2030.

(McKinsey)

McKinsey estimates that the lithium-ion battery chain could contribute up to 18 million jobs by the end of the decade, both in terms of existing and new positions. This is an increase of 80% from the company’s predictions in 2019.

Lithium-Ion Battery Production Statistics

6. How many lithium-ion batteries are produced each year?

(S&P Global, Statista, Wood Mackenzie)

In 2022 installed capacity for lithium-ion batteries was around 948 GWh, most of which is used to meet the needs of the EV industry.

This is set to increase at a CAGR of 23.5% between 2022 and 2027, reaching 3,371 GWh. This is in line with data from Wood Mackenzie which shows that the top 15 manufacturers by planned capacity will put out 3,000 GWh, which is already in the planning or construction stage.

Lithium-Ion Battery Production Statistics

In line with manufacturers’ growing production capacity, the capacity of Li-ion batteries entering the market is also set to rise to 2,731 GWh by 2030, a nearly 10-fold increase.

7. China produced 79% of Li-ion batteries entering the global market in 2021.

(S&P Global Market Intelligence, Statista)

China is by far the biggest producer of lithium-ion batteries with 558 GWh of manufacturing capacity. The country is also the leader in other sections of the battery supply chain, such as mining and refining. China is expected to keep its position throughout 2025 when it should account for 65.2% or 944 GWh of lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

The US is ranked second, accounting for 6% or 44 GWh of worldwide manufacturing capacity with Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada contributing the most to the country’s annual production. The US is expected to increase production to 91 GWh as 13 new plants should become operational by 2050.

Poland, Germany, and Hungary also make the top 10 list — the collective share of European countries is 68 GWh or roughly 10% of worldwide manufacturing. That said, Germany is set to see some significant growth, becoming the second biggest producer of Li-ion batteries in the world — the country’s capacity is forecast to increase to 164 GWh, representing a 15-fold rise between 2021 and 2025.

hina produced 79% of Li-ion batteries entering the global market in 2021

Lithium Ion Battery Usage Statistics

8. Global demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to grow by 33% annually.

(McKinsey)

Going up from an estimated 700 GWh in 2022, worldwide demand for Li-ion batteries is forecast to reach 1,700 GWh by 2025 and 4.700 GWh by 2030. EVs (consuming around 4.3 TWh) should account for most of the demand in 2030. Stationary energy storage systems will also drive demand, increasing at a CAGR of 30%.

In terms of regions, China is projected to take up a 40% share of total demand in 2030, while the EU and the US should also see growth in demand fueled by regulatory changes and government incentives, such as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US and the ban of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the EU.

Global demand for lithium-ion batteries

9. China consumes more than half of global lithium-ion production.

(Pandaily)

China is the world’s biggest consumer of Li-ion batteries for five consecutive years. The development index of China’s lithium battery industry stood at 307.6 in 2021, over three times higher compared to 5 years ago, while the scale of the industry reached 324GWh, four times higher than in 2017.

9. The consumer electronics market took up the biggest share of revenue (39.13%) in 2022.

(Grad View Research)

Even though the EV market is forecast to experience the fastest growth, in 2022, the consumer electronics accounted for more than a third of the revenue generated in the industry.

10. The global residential lithium-ion battery energy storage systems market is set to reach nearly $50bn by 2030.

(Grand View Research)

The energy storage systems market is also set to grow due to increasing demand for electricity and government initiatives encouraging the installation of energy storage systems. In fact, the global residential lithium-ion battery energy storage systems market, valued at $ 4.56 billion in 2022, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.1% between 2023 and 2030. This means the market will be worth about $48.81 billion by 2030.

11. Tesla deployed 18,700 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in 2020.

(Adamas Intelligence)

This is more than what four of its biggest rivals (BYD, Volkswagen, Renault, and Audi) combined deployed in the same year.

Tesla deployed 18,700 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in 2020

Lithium Reserves by Country

12. Which country has the largest lithium reserves?

(US Geological Survey)

Chile holds the largest reserves of lithium in the world, estimated at 9.3 million MT.

Australia is ranked second (6.2 million MT), followed by Argentina (2,700,000 MT) and China (2,000,000 MT).

Which country has the largest lithium reserves

South America also holds most of the world’s identified lithium resources, concentrated in three countries: Bolivia (21 million tons), Argentina (20 million tons), and Chile (11 million tons).

Lithium reserves currently stand at 26,000,000 MT.

13. At 60,000 MT, Portugal has the largest lithium reserves in Europe.

(INN, US Geological Survey)

Lithium resources can also be found in Germany (3.2 million tons), Czechia (1.3 million tons), Serbia (1.2 million tons), and Russia (1 million tons), although these are very low, compared to the amounts found in Chile and Australia. In fact, it is estimated that by 2032, Europe will account for 25% of lithium demand, but it can only supply 4%.

To meet demands, the EU is planning on ramping up domestic production as well as increasing the recycling of batteries to recover lithium and integrating the mining and refining stages of the process.

14. African countries have a combined 4.38 million tons of lithium resources.

(Energy Capital & Power, News24, US Geological Survey)

Africa holds over 30% of global mineral reserves, including 5% of naturally occurring lithium ore reserves. Most lithium reserves in Africa are found in Zimbabwe (310,000 MT of lithium reserves), although other countries have substantial lithium resources such as the DRC (3 million tons), Mali (840,000 tons), Namibia (230,000 tons) and Ghana (180,000 tons).

Zimbabwe is currently the 7th biggest producer of lithium in the world and even though it currently only delivers 1% of global supply, it is forecast to increase production and account for more than 20%, mainly from the Arcadia mine home of the biggest hard rock lithium reserves in the world.

Lithium production from Africa is set to increase to about 497,000 metric tons by 2030.

Lithium Mining Statistics

15. ​​With 61,000 MT of lithium mined last year, Australia is the biggest lithium-producing country.

(US Geological Survey, Reuters)

130,000 MT of lithium were mined in 2022, most of which came from the Land Down Under. Actually, three of the biggest lithium mines in the world (Greenbushes: 1.34 million tonnes a year, Pilgangoora: 360,000 to 380,000 tonnes a year, and Mt Cattlin,194,000 tonnes) are located in Australia.

The country is followed by:

  1. Chile: 39,000 MT
  2. China: 19,000 MT
  3. Argentina: 6,200 MT
  4. Brazil: 2,200 MT
  5. Zimbabwe: 800 MT
  6. Portugal: 600 MT
  7. Canada: 500 MT

The figures on lithium production in the United States are withheld to avoid disclosure of proprietary company information.

16. With a market cap of $25.65 billion, Albemarle is the biggest lithium mining company.

(INN)

The company that owns lithium brine operations near Nevada’s Silver Peak in the US, as well as in mines in Western Australia and the Salar de Atacama in Chile, is followed by

  1. SQM: $20.67 billion
  2. Ganfeng Lithium: $18.37 billion
  3. Tianqi Lithium:$17.49 billion
  4. Mineral Resources: $9.86 billion

Lithium Mining Environmental Impact

17. The side effects of lithium mining.

(MIT, GreenCitizen, McKinsey)

Lithium mining has a significant impact on the environment. It not only leads to air pollution, but lithium extraction can also result in water shortages, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and global warming.
Lithium mining statistics point out that

  • 15 tonnes of CO2 are emitted into the air for every tonne of lithium mined.
  • In 2021 alone Chile lost about 56.8-kilo hectares of its natural forest (translating to 28.5 metric tons of CO2 equivalents in emissions) due to mining activities.
  • It is estimated that 95% of lithium-ion batteries end up in landfills where they leak contaminants and lead to underground fires which further pollute the area with toxic chemicals.

18. The indirect impact of lithium mining.

(MIT)

In addition to the direct impact of lithium mining, the production process also takes its toll on the environment. Namely, to synthesize the materials required for the manufacturing process, heat between 800 and 1,000 degrees Celsius is needed which can be achieved by burning fossil fuels, further adding to CO2 emissions.

19. How much water does lithium mining use?

(Euronews, Wired)

Mining lithium uses around 21 million liters of water (or around 5.5 million gallons) a day. In fact, producing a ton of lithium requires around 500,000 gallons of water. Since lithium mining projects are typically located in arid areas, the freshwater use puts further strain on the local residents and flora and fauna. For instance, mining activities consumed 65% of the water in Chile’s Salar de Atacama (one of the driest places on Earth) where local farmers and llama herders already face water scarcity.

20. Is lithium mining worse than oil drilling?

(8 Billion Trees)

While lithium mining impacts the environment, the process is more environmentally friendly than oil drilling mainly because petroleum products emit high levels of CO2 when used compared to lithium-ion batteries that have little to no CO2 emissions.

For instance, a Tesla Model X has a carbon emission between 110g/mi and 140g/mi (depending on the energy that powers it and its location), whereas a new gasoline vehicle emits an average of 410g/mi.

21. How green or clean is lithium-ion usage?

(Nature, Solar.com)

Li-ion batteries may not be as green or clean as expected, but they are much better for the environment — lithium-ion batteries have a longer life cycle and no tailpipe emissions.

On top of this, lithium-ion batteries can be recycled. Although currently less than 5% of li-ion batteries are recycled, experts estimate that about 11 million tons of lithium batteries will be disposed of, creating more opportunities to recycle the valuable materials inside.

Sources:

ledwatcher

Blogger, editor, developer who loves green living. Interested in photovoltaics and solar lighting. Reviewing solar products since 2013.

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow: