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Natural resources

Natural resources of Guinea

Oil, gas, minerals, forests and water in Guinea: what it produces, how it ranks in the world, who mines it and what it earns. Every figure is from an official source and is updated when the source is.

Guinea's natural resources at a glance
  • Resource rents, share of GDP (2021)

    4.5 %

  • Resources, share of goods exports (2024)

    90.8 %

  • Forest, share of land (2024)

    20.0 %

Source: World Bank; UN Comtrade; U.S. Energy Information Administration. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Mining and minerals

The U.S. Geological Survey records 7 mineral commodities with published production in Guinea between 2017 and 2021, from metals and gemstones to industrial minerals and fuels. The table includes processed products such as cement and steel, which USGS reports alongside raw minerals.

Every mineral commodity Guinea produced, 2017 to 2021As published by the U.S. Geological Survey. Units are thousand metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified unless the unit column says otherwise. Notes mark figures USGS estimated (e) or revised (r); "--" means zero and NA means not available.

Showing 7 of 7

Dry basisMetalsNot published46,16057,00067,00086,00086,0002018: e; 2019: e; 2020: e; 2021: e
Wet basisMetalsNot published50,80062,70073,70094,60094,600Not published
AluminaMetalsNot publishedNot published1823684394142017: --
Gold, mine, Au contentMetalskilograms18,38814,77913,66313,33617,941Not published
Cement, hydraulicIndustrial MineralsNot published1,2801,3801,5001,5401,5902018: e; 2019: e; 2020: e; 2021: e
GemIndustrial Mineralscarats145,000234,000183,000103,000219,000Not published
IndustrialIndustrial Mineralscarats36,30058,50045,80025,70054,700Not published

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook, country tables. Last checked 24 October 2026.

What natural resources earn

Natural resource rents were 4.5% of GDP in 2021, with forests and timber the largest part. That ranks Guinea 37th of 54 African countries. See all 54.

What Guinea's natural resources earn, as a share of GDPResource rents: the value of what is extracted minus the cost of extracting it, % of GDP.
051015201020132016201920222025Minerals 0.0Forests 4.5
MineralsForests05101520102014201820222026
View the data as a table
PeriodMineralsForests
20106.7 %8.6 %
20118.3 %9.9 %
20126.5 %10.1 %
20134.7 %9.6 %
20144.9 %10.1 %
20153.6 %10.5 %
20166.9 %11.3 %
20179.8 %9.1 %
20188.2 %5.5 %
20190.0 %4.7 %
20200.0 %4.8 %
20210.0 %4.5 %
2022Not publishedNot published
2023Not publishedNot published
2024Not publishedNot published
2025Not publishedNot published
2026Not publishedNot published

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Resources in Guinea's goods exports, 2024Share of all goods exports by product group, from what Guinea's trading partners report importing from it.
Metal ores85.1 %Gold, diamonds and preciousmetals4.8 %Oil, gas and coal0.5 %Copper0.2 %Aluminium0.1 %Lead0.1 %Salt, stone and otherminerals0.0 %Wood0.0 %
Metal ores85.1 %Gold, diamonds and precious metals4.8 %Oil, gas and coal0.5 %Copper0.2 %Aluminium0.1 %Lead0.1 %Salt, stone and other minerals0.0 %Wood0.0 %
View the data as a table
ItemValue (%)
Metal ores85.1
Gold, diamonds and precious metals4.8
Oil, gas and coal0.5
Copper0.2
Aluminium0.1
Lead0.1
Salt, stone and other minerals0.0
Wood0.0

Source: UN Comtrade. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Guinea's land, forests and water
  • Forest, share of land (2024)

    20.0 %

  • Arable land, share of land (2024)

    24.7 %

  • Renewable fresh water per person (2022)

    16,080 m³

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Method and sources

Oil, gas and coal output and coal reserves are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Oil and gas proved reserves are the EIA figures republished by Our World in Data; oil is converted from cubic metres to barrels at the standard factor. World production, reserves and ranks are from the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries, ranked among the countries USGS names. The full list of commodities and the companies that mine them are from the USGS Minerals Yearbook country tables, which run a few years behind. Rents, land and water are from the World Bank, and export shares from UN Comtrade. Nothing is estimated by us. Figures last checked on 24 October 2026.

USGS country page for Guinea. EIA international energy data. World Bank resource rents.

Frequently asked questions

What natural resources does Guinea have?

Guinea's main natural resources are timber, dry basis and wet basis. Metal ores made up 85.1% of its goods exports in 2024, and all resources together 90.8%. The World Bank puts natural resource rents at 4.5% of GDP in 2021, mostly from forests and timber. The U.S. Geological Survey also records production of alumina, gold, gem and industrial.

Does Guinea produce oil?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration records no meaningful crude oil production for Guinea in 2025.

What is Guinea's most valuable natural resource?

By export earnings, metal ores: 85.1% of goods exports in 2024, according to UN Comtrade (figures reported by Guinea's trading partners).

How much do natural resources contribute to Guinea's economy?

Natural resource rents, the value of resources extracted minus the cost of extracting them, were 4.5% of GDP in 2021. That ranks Guinea 37th of 54 African countries.