China, the World's Largest Sulfur Producer in 2022

Sulfur, also known as brimstone, is a chemical element commonly found in volcanoes. This mineral is often used as a component in sulfate and phosphate fertilizers to aid plant growth.

According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), global sulfur production reached 82 million metric tons in 2022. This figure represents a 0.74% year-on-year (YoY) increase compared to 2021, when production totaled 81.7 million metric tons.

In 2022, China was the world's largest sulfur producer, with output reaching 18 million metric tons. Its production volume decreased by 4.25% year-on-year.

The United States ranked second, with sulfur production reaching 8.6 million tons in 2022, a 7% year-on-year increase.

Russia produced 7.3 million metric tons of sulfur, a 3% year-on-year decrease.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed, producing 7 million and 6 million metric tons of sulfur, respectively.

Other countries, including Canada, Kazakhstan, India, Japan, and South Korea, produced less than 4 million metric tons of sulfur throughout last year.

Indonesia is not among the top 10 largest global sulfur producers. However, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the Gunung Ijen region is one of the largest domestic sulfur sources.