The United States produced an estimated 170 metric tons of gold in 2023. This figure represents a decrease of around nine percent in comparison to the previous year.
History of gold mining in the United States
Gold was first discovered in the United States in 1799 in North Carolina. More well known, and important to the history of the United States, however, was the California Gold Rush. The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848 and ended in 1885. This began as a result of gold being found by James W. Marshall in Coloma, California, which brought approximately 300,000 people to California from abroad and elsewhere in the United States. The sudden inundation of gold revived the American economy. U.S. gold production, however spiked during the 1980s, because of high gold prices and the recovery of gold from low-grade deposits in states such as Nevada. Today, Nevada is the largest gold producing state in the U.S.
U.S. gold trade
Since 2010, gold exports from the United States have been fluctuating, reaching a low of 250 metric tons in 2023. Although it typically exports more gold than it imports, U.S. gold imports reached 200 metric tons in 2023. As of September 2022, the United States had the largest gold holdings reserves in the world.
Mine production of gold in the United States from 2005 to 2023
(in metric tons)
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US Geological Survey. (January 29, 2024). Mine production of gold in the United States from 2005 to 2023 (in metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/238405/us-gold-production-since-2005/
US Geological Survey. "Mine production of gold in the United States from 2005 to 2023 (in metric tons)." Chart. January 29, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/238405/us-gold-production-since-2005/
US Geological Survey. (2024). Mine production of gold in the United States from 2005 to 2023 (in metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/238405/us-gold-production-since-2005/
US Geological Survey. "Mine Production of Gold in The United States from 2005 to 2023 (in Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/238405/us-gold-production-since-2005/
US Geological Survey, Mine production of gold in the United States from 2005 to 2023 (in metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/238405/us-gold-production-since-2005/ (last visited November 22, 2024)
Mine production of gold in the United States from 2005 to 2023 (in metric tons) [Graph], US Geological Survey, January 29, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/238405/us-gold-production-since-2005/