The African continent is rapidly becoming a new center of global gold production. In 2025, the nine largest gold producers in West Africa mined a combined 585.1 tonnes of gold, while Ghana alone increased its output by 44% in a single year. Few other regions of the world have demonstrated comparable growth.
The foundation of West Africa’s gold boom is its geology. Many of the region’s major deposits are located within the Birimian Greenstone Belt, one of the world’s richest gold-bearing geological provinces, which stretches across several countries. Over the past decades, the region has seen a steady stream of new mines as well as expansions of existing operations.
Ghana remains the undisputed leader. The country produced 130 tonnes of gold in 2024, but that figure jumped to 187.3 tonnes in 2025. The surge pushed Ghana to the top of Africa’s gold-producing countries and strengthened its position among the world’s leading producers. Burkina Faso ranked second with 94 tonnes, followed by Mali with 82.9 tonnes and Guinea with 69.3 tonnes. The remaining countries in the top nine are Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal.
Importantly, the growth is not limited to one or two countries. Almost every producer in the ranking increased output, while Liberia reached 21 tonnes, despite contributing only a small share of regional production until recently.
For the global gold market, the trend means Africa is becoming an increasingly important source of supply. West Africa combines substantial geological resources, growing investment, and relatively competitive mining costs. If current growth continues, the region could strengthen its position as the world’s second-largest gold-producing center after China.
The global gold boom is shifting south of the Sahara. West Africa is no longer simply a raw-material supplier on the periphery of the global industry. It is emerging as an independent center of gold production, with all nine major producers expanding output at a pace that is outstripping many other mining regions.
Source: @metalsesgtrends
Image: nv.ua
