THE LIST
34 out of 82
The UK's 2024 Criticality Assessment rated 34 of 82 candidate materials as critical, up from 18 of 26 assessed in 2021.
Check a mineral
WHAT THE GEOLOGISTS SAY
If you cannot grow it,
you have to mine it.
Every metal in your phone started in the ground.
The British Geological Survey says all minerals and metals used in manufacturing, including recycled ones, were first mined from the Earth's crust. Some are now rated critical because they matter more and are harder to secure.
34 CRITICAL in the UK's 2024 list
Check a mineral- Growing importance
- Risk to supply
- Recycling can help later
- What makes a mineral critical
THE SHORT ANSWER
Critical means
important and at risk.
A criticality assessment is like a risk assessment.
It weighs supply disruption against economic impact.
EVERYDAY USES
In phones, cars and steel
Rare earth elements are common in smartphones and electronic displays; cobalt goes into rechargeable batteries; niobium strengthens vehicle steel.
See the numbers
RECYCLING
A long-term source
Between 2040 and 2050, recycled material could meet more than 85% of demand for the rare earths used in magnets, a 2026 UK study found.
Read more
FOUR THINGS TO KNOW
From the ground
to the drawer.
Critical minerals are a national policy issue, but the products they end up in are everyday ones. These points come from BGS and the UN.
Everything mined starts in the crust
BGS says all minerals and metals used in manufacturing, including recycled material, were ultimately mined from the Earth's crust.
New tech needs more types
Digital devices, renewable energy, storage and electric vehicles use a wide range of minerals from supply chains vulnerable to disruption.
Recycling grows slowly
Too little end-of-life material exists yet; by 2035 only a few solar-panel minerals may be recycled at the UK's 20% target level.
Old devices hold value
The UN estimates US$62 billion of recoverable resources went unaccounted for in 2022 because e-waste was not properly recycled.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Many minerals at risk,
most e-waste wasted.
One figure from the UK list,
one from the UN's global e-waste count.
34 of 82
Candidate materials rated critical
Of the 18 minerals critical in 2021, 17 stayed critical; palladium dropped below the threshold, while nickel, iron, germanium, aluminium and chromium were added.
UK LIST · CMIC 2024
22.3%
Share of e-waste documented as recycled
A record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced in 2022. Less than a quarter was documented as properly collected and recycled.
E-WASTE · UN 2024
The UN Global E-waste Monitor says just 1% of rare earth element demand is met by e-waste recycling, and e-waste is on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030.
A QUICK MINERAL CHECK
What is it
used for?
Pick a mineral from the UK's top 10 most critical to see its rank and uses. The bar shows how high it ranks within the top 10.
Based on the UK Criticality Assessment 2024, UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (BGS).
RECYCLING BY 2050
A bigger role,
but not yet.
The UK aims to meet 20% of annual critical mineral demand through recycling and recovery by 2035. A June 2026 study by the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre found few minerals will be available in large enough quantities to reach that soon.
Between 2040 and 2050, recycled material could supply more than 60% of demand for battery metals, more than 85% for magnet rare earths, and over 90% for silver and 75% for tin used in solar panels. UK lithium demand is predicted to quadruple by 2050.
Questions
Questions people ask
What makes a mineral critical?
BGS says critical raw materials are those with growing economic importance and a high risk of supply shortage. The UK assessment measures the potential for supply disruption and its economic impact.
How many minerals are critical for the UK?
The 2024 UK Criticality Assessment rated 34 of 82 candidate materials as critical, compared with 18 of 26 in 2021.
Which mineral tops the UK list?
Niobium, used in high-strength steel for vehicle bodies, ranked first, followed by cobalt and the rare earth elements.
Can recycling replace mining?
Not in the short term. A 2026 UK study says primary supply will remain essential, but between 2040 and 2050 recycled material could meet more than 60% of demand for battery metals.
How much e-waste is recycled?
The UN's Global E-waste Monitor found 22.3% of the 62 million tonnes generated in 2022 was documented as properly collected and recycled.
Sources
- BGS: UK 2024 Criticality Assessment published
- BGS: Critical raw materials
- BGS: Shortage of end-of-life materials presents challenge to UK critical minerals security (June 2026)
- Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (ITU and UNITAR)
Updated