The mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: Industrie minière de la République Démocratique du Congo) is a major global supplier of minerals including cobalt, copper, diamonds, gold, tantalum, and tin. The DRC supplies over 60% of global cobalt, and mineral exports account for more than 95% of the country's export revenues. According to a 2011 report, the total value of the major mineral reserves in the DRC amounts to a total of over 300 billion US dollars.

Mining includes large-scale industrial projects, semi-industrial ventures, and widespread artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), often under dangerous and exploitative conditions.

Mining types Industrial mining Industrial mining is the mechanized extraction of minerals using heavy machinery, proper mining sites, and formal legalized operations. In the DRC, these mines are typically run by large corporations or foreign firms, which allows them to process massive volumes of ore and meet the demand for cobalt used in electric vehicles and electronics worldwide. This mining type includes modern safety standards, designated work zones, and regulated labor laws as compared to artisanal mines. Large scale exploration permits (, PR) and exploitation permits (, PE) are officially granted by the DRC Mining Register (, CAMI). Such ventures typically require years of planning, and involve millions of dollars of investment. The largest financiers are the Congolese firm Rawbank, which as of 2022 had leant out $820 million to mining companies, and the Kenyan firm Equity Group Holdings.

Artisanal and semi-industrial mining Artisanal mining is a form of mineral extraction carried out by individuals or small groups using basic tools such as hands, rocks, or pick axes in rare cases. Miners are digging for cobalt, copper, or other minerals in shallow pits, dangerous narrow tunnels, and informal open sites. This form of mining is usually driven by a lack of other employment opportunities, which makes it the main source of income for many families. Artisanal mining operates outside of formal systems and lacks the protections found in regulated industrial mines, making workers vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

The danger of artisanal mining comes primarily from the unsafe and unregulated conditions of the mines themselves. Miners often work in hand dug shafts that are poorly reinforced or not reinforced at all, introducing risks like tunnel collapses, suffocation, and serious injury. Since the work is informal, miners usually do not have helmets, masks, ventilation systems, or other personal protective equipment. People living near artisanal cobalt mining sites in Kolwezi had significantly higher levels of cobalt in their blood and urine, with children showing highly toxic exposure and evidence of DNA damage. This form of mining can create accidents underground as well as spread toxic dust and contaminated soil into surrounding areas, creating health threats for those nearby.

Artisanal mining is considered illegal since many sites operate outside of state regulation or formal labor laws. In the DRC miners often work on land that is owned by companies or in areas with a lack of official mining permits. This makes it hard to enforce labor protections or environmental protection policies, leading to the abuse of workers. Many people in the Congo depend on mining as their only form of income creating a cycle where these illegal, artisanal mines still run at the expense of these people's lives.

Major commodities Copper and cobalt

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the world's leading cobalt producers. In 2024, the country was estimated to account for between 67% and 76% of global cobalt production, according to figures published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the Cobalt Institute. Indonesia ranked as the second-largest producer, accounting for approximately 10–12% of global output and recording significant growth since 2021. Other producing countries, including Russia and China, represented around 3% each, while Canada, Australia, and Cuba accounted for smaller shares ranging between 1% and 2%. New Caledonia also contributed modestly to world production, exceeding 1% in 2023 before declining to 0.5% in 2024. In addition to its production dominance, the DRC has approximately 55% of global cobalt reserves, with around 6,000 kt of exploitable reserves out of an estimated worldwide total of 11,000 kt. Based on current extraction levels, reserve-to-production ratios suggest about 27 years of remaining reserves in the DRC compared to 38 years globally, assuming stable production.

Mining activity is concentrated mainly in the Copperbelt region. Cobalt, vital for electric vehicle batteries, is sourced from industrial and artisanal mines. Copper and cobalt resources are mined in the south of the country in the Copperbelt, in the Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces. Compared with the conflict-prone eastern regions where 3TG minerals are extracted, the south of the country is more politically stable, and mining operations there are generally associated with fewer concerns about conflict minerals than the 3TG mineral trade in the east. Industrial copper-cobalt production is largely managed through partnerships between foreign mining firms and the state-owned Gécamines as a minority stakeholder. In 2019, Glencore announced the temporary closure of the Mutanda Mine, the world's largest cobalt mine, citing declining commodity prices and increased government royalty taxes during the years of President Joseph Kabila's influence. Although industrial mining dominates production, artisanal extraction by hand remains widespread. To strengthen state oversight, the Congolese government established the Enterprise Generale du Cobalt (EGC) in December 2019 to centralize the purchase and marketing of cobalt produced by small-scale miners. However, by May 2022, the company had not yet begun operations, and discussions emerged regarding the cancellation of its monopoly. Concerns over unethical mining practices also attracted international attention, as companies such as Tesla, Google, and Apple faced a lawsuit related to allegations of unsafe artisanal cobalt mining and child labor in supply chains, although the case was later dismissed.

Diamonds

The DRC is home to around 9% of global diamond reserves and remains an important producer of industrial and gem-quality diamonds, accounting for 18% of industrial diamonds and 3% of gem-quality diamonds.

Annual production has declined considerably, dropping from nearly 30 million carats at the beginning of the century to an average of 11.7 million carats annually since 2019. The first major decline happened around 2008 and was primarily linked to the deterioration of large-scale mining operations after the difficulties experienced by the state-owned mining company Société Minière de Bakwanga (MIBA). A second decline emerged around 2017 due to reduced artisanal mining production. Industrial diamond extraction is concentrated in the Kasaï region, where mining activities over the last decade have largely been dominated by Société Anhui-Congo d'Investissement Minier (SACIM) after MIBA's collapse. In 1990, one of the largest colorless diamonds in the world, the Millennium Star, was found in the Mbuji-Mayi area. MIBA also served as a major source of economic activity in Kasaï and played a key role in financing the military campaigns of former president Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Its downfall was accelerated by the loss of valuable concessions, exploitative (or 'leonine') agreements with foreign investors, insufficient investment, resource depletion, and unsuccessful renegotiation efforts, while allegations of corruption and diamond embezzlement also worsened the situation. As a result, MIBA's production fell dramatically from 9.5 million carats in 1990 to only tens of thousands of carats in recent years. Although President Félix Tshisekedi proposed a recovery strategy, skepticism remains because of inadequate funding. In 2013, the assets and debt of the state controlled Société Congolaise d'Investissement Minier (SCIM) were given to a new 50/50 joint venture between the Congolese government and the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group, Société Anhui-Congo d'Investissement Minier (SACIM). According to the deal, Anhui promised to spend $100 million on various infrastructure projects.

Since 2016, SACIM has become the country's leading diamond producer, exporting more than 4 million carats in 2022. Nevertheless, the company has faced numerous accusations concerning labor and human rights abuses, tax evasion, environmental pollution, resource exploitation, and limited contributions to local communities. In response to allegations of fraud, the government introduced a decree in 2022 requiring SACIM to market its diamonds through five approved Congolese exporters, a measure that was criticized by some parliamentarians as inconsistent with the Mining Code. SACIM reacted by reducing production levels. Alongside SACIM and the weakened remnants of MIBA, many semi-industrial mining companies continue to operate in the DRC, often with little government oversight. Several reportedly function under the protection of influential political actors or members of the FARDC, which limits external monitoring, and this lack of regulation has generated complaints regarding environmental degradation, reduced fish populations, water shortages, and the displacement of artisanal miners from mining zones. Since MIBA's collapse, artisanal miners have become the dominant producers of diamonds in the country. An estimated 450,000 artisanal miners are responsible for between 60% and 80% of diamond exports.

Gold

The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo contains major gold-rich geological zones, particularly the Twangiza-Namoya gold belt and the Kilo-Moto greenstone belt. These regions host both large-scale industrial mines, such as the Kibali Gold Mine, and several artisanal mining sites. In 2023, the country ranked as the world's 17th-largest gold producer, according to GlobalData, with output increasing slightly by 0.5% compared to 2022. Over the five years ending in 2022, however, gold production declined at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.26%, while forecasts suggest a modest recovery, with expected growth of 0.88% annually between 2023 and 2027. The country currently contributes around 2% of global gold production, while the leading global producers include China, Russia, Australia, and Canada. Within the DRC, major gold producers include AngloGold Ashanti and Barrick Gold. Between 2020 and 2021, AngloGold Ashanti increased its production by 12%, whereas Barrick Gold experienced a 7% decline in output. On 13 March 2026, the DRC inaugurated its first gold refinery, DRC Gold Refinery S.A., which is designed to handle the entire gold value chain, from purchasing raw gold to refining and producing gold bars, and was established through a collaboration between DRC Gold Trading and Tanzania-based Lunga Mining. According to Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba, the refinery marks the first time the country can process its strategic minerals domestically under improved conditions, including fair pricing and improved infrastructure, and could help position the DRC as a major exporter of highly refined (99.9%) gold. Its initial output capacity is estimated at 500–600 kilograms per month, equivalent to more than seven tonnes per year.