Europium (Eu): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Europium is the red phosphor in color displays, and USGS says no substitute is known for that use. USGS reports production only for all rare earths combined: in 2025 China produced an estimated 270,000 t of rare earth oxide equivalent, 69% of the world total (USGS world total: 390,000 t). US net import reliance for europium in 2025 was 67% for rare earth compounds and metals as a group. Europium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
390,000 t
estimated world production of all rare earths combined in 2025
$27/kg
europium oxide, 99.99% minimum, average in 2025 (0% on 2024)
Which countries produce europium?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world | Reserves (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 270,000 | 270,000 | 69% | 44,000,000 |
| United States | 45,500 | 51,000 | 13% | 1,900,000 |
| Australia | 29,000 | 29,000 | 7.4% | 6,300,000 |
| Burma | 27,000 | 22,000 | 5.6% | NA |
| All other countries | 12,500 | 17,310 | 4.4% | NA |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 380,000 | 390,000 | 100% | >75,000,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Rare earths. Shares are calculated from the country figures and can differ by a point or two from percentages USGS states in its text, because USGS rounds its figures. NA means not available; Withheld means USGS withheld the figure to avoid disclosing company data. USGS reports mine production only for all rare earths combined (as rare earth oxide equivalent), not for individual elements.
What is europium used for?
- Red phosphor: color cathode-ray tubes and liquid-crystal displays employ europium as the red phosphor; no substitute is known (USGS, 2002)
- Fluorescent lamps: energy-efficient lamps use yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, europium, gadolinium and terbium (USGS, 2002)
How much does europium cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europium oxide, 99.99% minimum, average | dollars per kilogram | 31 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Rare earths. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
Is europium a critical mineral?
Europium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical and strategic |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Critical (priority) |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
Export controls and trade measures
- China has required export licenses for rare earths since 2025. USGS lists this element among those added in October 2025 (europium, holmium, erbium, thulium and ytterbium), which China suspended for one year in November 2025; the April 2025 controls remained in effect.
See the export controls tracker for dates and current status.
What are the substitutes for europium?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Red phosphor in displays | No substitute is known (USGS, 2002) |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Rare earths. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can europium be recycled?
Limited quantities of rare earths were recovered from batteries, permanent magnets and fluorescent lamps.
What are the supply risks and recent events for europium?
- October to November 2025. China added europium to its rare earth export controls in October 2025 and suspended that expansion for one year in November. The April 2025 controls remained in effect. The average europium oxide price was unchanged at $27 per kilogram.
Resources. USGS notes that deposits with relatively high grades of the scarcer and more valuable heavy rare earths and europium are particularly desirable (2002).
Which companies produce or process europium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Northern Rare Earth | China | Rare earth producer (SSE: 600111) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, lists europium oxide among its main products, for phosphors and optical materials. China Northern Rare Earth: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026) |
| China Rare Earth Group Resource Technology | China | Ionic clay rare earth separator (SZSE: 000831) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, names europium among the elements its Yongzhou Rare Earth plant can separate to 99.99% to 99.999% purity. China Rare Earth Group Resource Technology: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (April 2026) |
| NioCorp Developments | United States (Elk Creek, Nebraska) | Developer of a niobium, scandium and titanium project with rare earth by-products (Nasdaq: NB) | Its project page lists a samarium-europium-gadolinium carbonate among the products expected from Elk Creek. NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026) |
| Energy Fuels | United States | Uranium and rare earth producer expanding at White Mesa (NYSE American: UUUU) | Its 10-Q lists europium with samarium and gadolinium among the rare earths it aims to make at the Mill through expansions of its Phase 1 separation circuit, and lists the technology and timing as risks. Energy Fuels, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is europium used for?
Europium is used in red phosphor and fluorescent lamps. Red phosphor: color cathode-ray tubes and liquid-crystal displays employ europium as the red phosphor; no substitute is known (USGS, 2002).
Which country produces the most europium?
USGS does not report europium separately; China produced the most rare earths of any country in 2025, an estimated 270,000 t (69%) of the world's 390,000 t of rare earth oxide equivalent.
Is europium a critical mineral?
Yes. Europium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Europium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for europium in 2025 was 67% for rare earth compounds and metals as a group.
How much does europium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of europium at $27/kg (europium oxide, 99.99% minimum, average; 0% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare earths. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 4, export controls by country)
- USGS Fact Sheet 087-02: Rare Earth Elements, Critical Resources for High Technology (2002). Used for the uses of individual elements; it dates from 2002
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- China Northern Rare Earth: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026)
- China Rare Earth Group Resource Technology: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (April 2026)
- NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026)
- Energy Fuels, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 30 June 2026
Related topics
China profile
Production, policy and projects in China.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Export Controls and Restrictions
China, Indonesia, DR Congo and other measures with dates.
The 17 Rare Earth Elements
Every rare earth with its group, price and control status.
Cerium
Profile of cerium.
Dysprosium
Profile of dysprosium.
