Mineral rents in Least developed countries

Least developed countries: Mineral rents was 3.1% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
3.1%
Change on year
up 278.7%
Rank
7th
of 45 groups
All-time high
4.8%
in 1973
All-time low
0.2%
in 1999
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Mineral rents in Least developed countries, 1970–2021

012345197019952021

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for mineral rents in Least developed countries is 3.1%, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 278.7% on the previous year and up 82.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, mineral rents in Least developed countries peaked at 4.8% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1999.

That places Least developed countries 7th out of 45 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Mineral rents in Least developed countries, year by year

Annual values for Mineral rents (% of GDP) in Least developed countries, 1970 to 2021.
Year % of GDP Change
1970 4.1%
1971 2.6% -36.5%
1972 2.6% -0.3%
1973 4.8% +86.2%
1974 4.5% -6.0%
1975 1.5% -67.3%
1976 2.0% +33.8%
1977 1.8% -11.4%
1978 1.0% -43.1%
1979 1.6% +61.9%
1980 1.6% +1.5%
1981 1.0% -38.5%
1982 0.7% -30.3%
1983 0.9% +31.9%
1984 0.7% -29.4%
1985 0.7% +1.7%
1986 0.9% +30.9%
1987 1.0% +9.5%
1988 1.5% +58.1%
1989 1.6% +6.5%
1990 1.0% -36.5%
1991 0.4% -58.5%
1992 0.4% +2.0%
1993 0.3% -27.1%
1994 0.3% -3.7%
1995 0.2% -37.0%
1996 0.2% +16.2%
1997 0.2% -8.6%
1998 0.2% -4.1%
1999 0.2% -12.7%
2000 0.2% +11.2%
2001 0.2% +21.3%
2002 0.2% +7.3%
2003 0.2% -24.6%
2004 0.3% +69.3%
2005 0.5% +66.4%
2006 1.1% +112.7%
2007 1.1% -1.7%
2008 1.0% -11.5%
2009 0.8% -12.1%
2010 1.3% +57.1%
2011 1.7% +29.1%
2012 1.5% -15.5%
2013 1.3% -13.7%
2014 0.9% -26.0%
2015 0.6% -37.9%
2016 0.7% +17.3%
2017 0.9% +37.9%
2018 0.9% +1.0%
2019 0.6% -37.6%
2020 0.8% +40.8%
2021 3.1% +278.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.6% 1.0% 4.8% 10
1980s 1.1% 0.7% 1.6% 10
1990s 0.3% 0.2% 1.0% 10
2000s 0.6% 0.2% 1.1% 10
2010s 1.0% 0.6% 1.7% 10
2020s 2.0% 0.8% 3.1% 2

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 4 Eritrea 24.6% compare
  2. 5 New Caledonia 16.8% compare
  3. 6 Chile 16.2% compare
  4. 7 Mali 16.2% compare
  5. 8 Burkina Faso 15.5% compare
  6. 9 Papua New Guinea 14.4% compare
  7. 10 Peru 12.1% compare

See the full ranking of 260 places →

More energy & mining data for Least developed countries

All data for Least developed countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is mineral rents in Least developed countries?
Mineral rents in Least developed countries was 3.1% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest mineral rents recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 1973.
What is the lowest mineral rents recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1999.
How does Least developed countries rank for mineral rents?
Least developed countries ranks 7th out of 45 groups with data for 2021.
Is mineral rents rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 82.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB), published as part of Mineral rents (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Mineral rents in Least developed countries. Statizoid, drawing on The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/stat/mineral-rents-percent-of-gdp/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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About this data

Indicator
Mineral rents (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
260 places, 11,690 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Mineral rents are the difference between the value of production for a stock of minerals at world prices and their total costs of production. Minerals included in the calculation are tin, gold, lead, zinc, iron, copper, nickel, silver, bauxite, and phosphate.