Lanthanum (La): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Lanthanum is a light rare earth element, among the cheapest, used in rechargeable lanthanum-nickel-hydride batteries, pigments and fluorescent lamps. 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 lanthanum in 2025 was 67% for rare earth compounds and metals as a group. Lanthanum 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
$1.00/kg
lanthanum oxide, 99.5% minimum, average in 2025 (+3% on 2024)
Which countries produce lanthanum?
| 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 lanthanum used for?
- Rechargeable batteries: lanthanum-nickel-hydride batteries were gradually replacing nickel-cadmium batteries in computer and communications applications (USGS, 2002)
- Pigments: red and red-orange pigments made with lanthanum or cerium supersede pigments containing cadmium or other toxic heavy metals (USGS, 2002)
- Fluorescent lamps: energy-efficient lamps use yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, europium, gadolinium and terbium (USGS, 2002)
- Catalysts: several rare earths are essential constituents of petroleum fluid cracking catalysts (USGS, 2002)
How much does lanthanum cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanthanum oxide, 99.5% minimum, average | dollars per kilogram | 1.51 | 1.39 | 0.96 | 0.97 | 1.00 |
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 lanthanum a critical mineral?
Lanthanum 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.
What are the substitutes for lanthanum?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Most applications | USGS says substitutes for rare earths are available for many applications but generally are less effective |
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 lanthanum 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 lanthanum?
- 2025. The average lanthanum oxide price was $1.00 per kilogram, the lowest of the itemised rare earths. USGS does not list this element among those named in China's 2025 rare earth export control measures.
Resources. USGS notes that in most rare earth deposits lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium make up 80% to 99% of the total (2002).
Which companies produce or process lanthanum?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Northern Rare Earth | China | Rare earth producer (SSE: 600111) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, lists lanthanum oxide, for special alloys, precision optical glass, high-refractive-index optical fibre plates and ceramic capacitors, and lanthanum metal among its main products. It says its separated lanthanum output rose year on year and that annual sales of lanthanum-cerium products exceeded production for the first time in several years, reducing inventory. China Northern Rare Earth: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026) |
| MP Materials | United States | Rare earth miner and refiner at Mountain Pass (NYSE: MP) | Its 2025 10-K says the company produces NdPr oxide and other separated rare earth products, including cerium and lanthanum products. The part of the filing read gives no lanthanum volume. MP Materials, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 26 February 2026) |
| Neo Performance Materials | Canada (plants in Estonia and China) | Producer of lanthanum oxides and salts (TSX: NEO) | Its annual information form for 2024 lists lanthanum oxides and salts among the products of its Chemicals and Oxides segment and says high purity lanthanum is used in glass for cameras, photocopiers, eyeglasses and high-precision lenses. Neo Performance Materials: annual information form for 2024 (18 March 2025) |
| Iluka Resources | Australia | Developer of the Eneabba rare earth refinery (ASX: ILU) | Its August 2026 half-year presentation gives the Eneabba refinery a light rare earth circuit capacity of 17,000 tonnes a year "including NdPr and LaCe", with commissioning in 2027. Iluka Resources: 2026 half year results presentation (19 August 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 lanthanum used for?
Lanthanum is used in rechargeable batteries, pigments and fluorescent lamps. Rechargeable batteries: lanthanum-nickel-hydride batteries were gradually replacing nickel-cadmium batteries in computer and communications applications (USGS, 2002).
Which country produces the most lanthanum?
USGS does not report lanthanum 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 lanthanum a critical mineral?
Yes. Lanthanum is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Lanthanum was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for lanthanum in 2025 was 67% for rare earth compounds and metals as a group.
How much does lanthanum cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of lanthanum at $1.00/kg (lanthanum oxide, 99.5% minimum, average; +3% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 14, 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 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)
- MP Materials, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 26 February 2026)
- Neo Performance Materials: annual information form for 2024 (18 March 2025)
- Iluka Resources: 2026 half year results presentation (19 August 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.
The 17 Rare Earth Elements
Every rare earth with its group, price and control status.
Cerium
Profile of cerium.
Dysprosium
Profile of dysprosium.
Erbium
Profile of erbium.
