Zacatecas Tops Mexico's Mineral Production in November 2024

Zacatecas emerged as the largest producer of gold, silver, lead, and zinc in November 2024, according to INEGI. The state saw double-digit growth in all four minerals, contributing to a 1.8% increase in national mineral production.

According to INEGI’s Minerometallurgical Industry Statistics (EIMM) Zacatecas produced 3,065t of gold in November 2024, a 13% increase from November 2023. The state surpassed Sonora, whose production decreased by 2.9%, totaling 2,857t; and Guerrero, which produced 1,972t, a 6.9% increase from November 2023.

In the same period, Zacatecas produced 178,069t of silver, a 32.5% increase from the 134,381t produced in November 2023. The state was followed by Chihuahua with 96,125t, Durango with 80,099t, and Sonora with 46,905t. 

Zacatecas was also Mexico's largest producer of lead, with 10,946t, a 6.5% increase. Although this was the only metal not showing double-digit growth, the state accounted for 66.3% of the nation's total lead production, which stood at 16,524t. Zacatecas was followed by Durango with 1,584t and Chihuahua with 1,905t of lead.

Zinc was the mineral in which Zacatecas showed the largest growth rate, with a 57.7% increase, totaling 29,569t. The state's production represented 52.9% of Mexico's total zinc output, which amounted to 55,899t. Durango was the second-largest producer with 8,431t and Chihuahua ranked third with 5,556t of zinc. 

Sonora stood out as Mexico’s largest copper producer in November 2024, with a total output of 47,086t. The state accounted for 80.7% of the national copper production, which reached 58,359t. It was followed by Zacatecas with 5,599t and San Luis Potosi with 2,463. 

Iron ore was led by Michoacan with a 268,678t output, followed by Colima with 183,617t and Coahuila with 22t. 

Nuevo Leon produced 6,077t of sulfur, making it the largest producer of this metal. The state was followed by Tamaulipas with 3,356t and Veracruz with 1,201t. As for fluorite, the two only producers were San Luis Potosi and Coahuila with 95,144t and 1,869t respectively

Mexico’s Mining Production

On Jan. 23, 2024, MBN reported that Mexico’s mining production saw a 0.9% decrease in November 2024 compared to the previous month. However, on a year-on-year basis, mining production increased by 1.8%. 

The country’s mining production stood at 77.6 points in November 2024, reflecting a monthly decline of 0.9% but an annual growth of 1.8%. Notable year-over-year increases included zinc, which saw a growth of 13.1%, copper with an 11.5% increase, silver rising by 2.1%, and lead growing by 0.6%. These gains contrast with declines in other minerals, including a significant 32.9% drop in sulfur production.