Coal mining industry gross value added Australia 2015-2024

As of December 2024, the gross value added (GVA) by the coal mining industry in Australia amounted to about 106 billion Australian dollars. This figure represents an increase from the previous year. 

Coal mining economic contribution

Employment in the coal mining industry has declined over the past decade, but saw a rise again in 2023. Tens of thousands of people are still included in the coal mining workforce. Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of coal. With China being the largest coal consuming country in the world, recent tensions have cast uncertainty on trade relations, including the export of Australian coal.

Coal mining companies

UK-Australian based BHP and Rio Tinto were among the leading mining companies worldwide. These multinational companies have a diverse mining portfolio that includes Australian coal. This comes as no surprise, as Australia has coal reserves totaling almost 150 billion metric tons.