U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2012–3140

December 2012

Use of Raw Materials in the United States From 1900 Through 2010

Printed on recycled paper

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the types and 

quantities of raw materials used by U.S. manufacturers and 

consumers have changed over time. This fact sheet quantifies 

the amounts of those materials (other than food and fuel) that 

have been input into the U.S. economy annually for a period 

of 111 years, from 1900 through 2010. It provides a broad 

overview of all materials used but highlights the use and 

importance of raw nonfuel minerals in particular. This fact sheet 

supersedes U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2009–3008, 

which was published in April 2009 and covered the period 1900 

through 2006.

These data have been compiled to help the public and 

policymakers understand the flow of raw materials used in the 

United States in physical terms. Such information can be helpful 

in assessing the past and potential effects of the materials on 

the environment, evaluating the materials’ intensity of use, and 

examining the role that these materials play in the economy. It 

can also provide insight into what may happen to the materials 

at the end of their useful life.

The data are presented in three ways. Figure 1 lists the 

raw materials put into use annually in the United States from 

1900 through 2010 based on the historical data available. The 

materials are divided into the following broad categories: 

agriculture, forestry, metals, minerals, and nonrenewable 

organics. Table 1 lists the amounts (by weight) of these raw 

materials put into use each year for the same time period. 

Figures 2 and 3 are graphical representations of the data in 

table 1. The graphs show how the expansions and contractions 

in raw materials usage have been coincident with major 

economic and military events of the past 11 decades. These 

events have included World War I, the Great Depression of the 

1930s, World War II, the post-World War II expansion, the oil 

crisis of the 1970s, the recessions of the 1980s and early 1990s, 

the extended period of economic prosperity and technological 

growth at the end of the 20th century, and the global financial 

crisis that began in 2007.

For the purposes of this fact sheet, “usage” refers to the 

annual apparent inputs during the use phase of consumption 

(which is calculated as the sum of domestic production, imports, 

and recycling, minus exports). The usage data are for the first 

point of consumption only; ultimate consumption in the form 

of manufactured products could be significantly different. The 

data are also only for raw materials that were ready for use 

directly by the consumer or in the manufacture of products 

that were actually made and sold in 

the United States, not for materials contained in finished goods 

that were imported into or exported out of the country. In an 

industrial economy such as that of the United States where the 

volume of goods flowing into and out of the country is large, 

tracking the flow of materials embedded in imported products is 

virtually impossible.

The following is a list of all the sources used to compile 

these data: 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries 

of the United States (for fisheries statistics)

• Resources for the Future, Natural Resource Commodities—A 

Century of Statistics (for agriculture statistics)

• U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 

Mineral Resources of the United States, and Minerals 

Yearbook (for metal and mineral statistics)

• U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 

(for agriculture statistics)

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Statistics (for 

agriculture statistics)

• U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy 

Review (for nonrenewable organics statistics)

• U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Timber Production, Trade, 

Consumption, and Price Statistics (for forestry and paper 

statistics)

• U.S. International Trade Commission, Synthetic Organic 

Chemicals (for nonrenewable organics statistics, and statistics 

on primary products made from petroleum and natural gas)

The USGS National Minerals Information Center 

provides statistics and information on the worldwide supply 

of, demand for, and flow of minerals and materials essential to 

the U.S. economy, the national security, and protection of the 

environment.

By Grecia R. Matos

For more information, please contact:

National Minerals Information Center

U.S. Geological Survey

991 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals
Metals (includes Nonrenewable organics

recycled material)

Agriculture Forestry Minerals

Asphalt and road oil:

 All asphalts

 All road oils (grades 0 to 5)

Coal (1977–2010)

Coal for chemical use (1900–1976)

Liquefied petroleum gases (1980–2010)

Lubricants:

 All lubricating oils

 Lubricants in greases

Miscellaneous oils, waxes, and other 

 products:

 All waxes

 Absorption oil

 All other nonfuel oils

 Petrolatum

Natural gas for carbon black

Pentanes plus (1984–2010)

Petrochemicals feedstock (1980–2010)

Petroleum coke

Primary products from petroleum and 

 natural gas (1900–1979):

 1,3-butadiene for rubber

 1-butene

 Acetylene

 All other aromatics

 All other C4 hydrocarbons

 All other C5 hydrocarbons

 Alpha olefins, C6–C10

 Benzene

 Butadiene and butylene fractions

 Dodecene

 Ethane, propane, butane

 Ethylene

 Hexane

 Higher alpha olefins

 Isobutane

 Isobutylene

 Isoprene

 n-Heptane

 Nonene

 n-paraffins

 Pentenes, mixed

 Piperylene

 Propylene

 Toulene

 Xylenes

 All others

Special naphthas (1980–2010)

Abrasives, manufactured

Asbestos

Barite

Boron

Bromine

Cement

Clays

Diamond, industrial

Diatomite

Feldspar

Fluorspar

Garnet, industrial

Gemstones

Graphite, natural

Gypsum

Hafnium

Helium

Iron oxide pigments

Kyanite and related materials

Lime

Lithium

Magnesium compounds

Mica

Nitrogen

Peat

Perlite

Phosphate

Potash

Pumice and pumicite

Quartz crystal

Salt

Sand and gravel, construction

Sand and gravel, industrial

Soda ash

Sodium sulfate

Stone, crushed

Stone, dimension

Strontium

Sulfur

Talc and pyrophyllite

Thorium

Titanium dioxide

Vermiculite

Wollastonite

Zirconium

Aluminum

Antimony

Arsenic

Beryllium

Bismuth

Cadmium

Cesium

Chromium

Cobalt

Copper

Gallium

Germanium

Gold

Indium

Iron and steel

Lead

Magnesium

Manganese

Mercury

Molybdenum

Nickel

Niobium (columbium)

Platinum group

Rare earths

Rhenium

Selenium

Silicon

Silver

Tantalum

Tellurium

Thallium

Tin

Titanium

Tungsten

Vanadium

Zinc

Paper and paperboard, all grades:

 Paper and paperboard, primary: 

 Insulating board

 Hardboard

 Wet machine board

 Recycled paper, secondary, 

 1960–2010:

 Recovered paper at paper and 

 paperboard mills

 Recovered paper for other uses

Plywood and veneer

Other forestry:

 Cooperage

 Fence posts

 Hewn ties

 Poles and piling

 Other miscellaneous products

Wood

Cotton

Cottonseed

Fishery

Flax seed

Fur

Leather hides

Mohair

Natural rubber

Raw wool

Silk, raw and waste

Tobacco

Figure 1. Chart showing U.S. raw materials put into use annually from 1900 through 2010, by category.
Table 1. U.S. raw materials put into use annually from 1900 through 2010, by category. Materials embedded in imported goods are not 

included.—Continued

[In thousand metric tons. Data are rounded to three significant digits. --, negligible or no data]

Year Agriculture

Forestry Metals and minerals

Nonrenewable 

organics

Total of 

Wood Paper and materials

paperboard

Recycled 

paper

Primary 

metals

Recycled 

metals

Industrial 

minerals

Construction 

materials

1900 3,040 60,300 2,640 -- 10,300 -- 10,800 55,300 1,590 144,000

1901 3,460 62,800 2,670 -- 13,100 -- 11,300 61,000 1,670 156,000

1902 3,660 65,600 2,690 -- 14,800 -- 13,300 70,000 1,760 172,000

1903 3,300 67,100 2,720 -- 14,100 -- 14,000 67,000 1,880 170,000

1904 3,560 69,000 2,750 -- 12,900 -- 20,100 70,100 1,900 180,000

1905 3,680 70,600 2,720 -- 17,800 -- 23,000 81,200 1,960 201,000

1906 3,740 75,800 2,690 -- 20,800 12 27,400 95,200 2,040 228,000

1907 3,310 80,800 2,670 -- 21,100 44 28,700 90,000 2,130 229,000

1908 3,570 74,200 2,640 -- 12,900 29 25,400 81,900 2,180 203,000

1909 3,500 78,800 3,720 -- 20,900 83 31,000 109,000 2,260 249,000

1910 3,380 78,800 3,680 -- 23,000 123 34,900 125,000 2,370 271,000

1911 3,710 75,900 3,650 -- 20,400 133 35,500 122,000 2,590 264,000

1912 4,090 77,700 3,610 -- 26,200 184 38,300 124,000 2,930 277,000

1913 3,810 76,200 3,580 -- 26,400 180 39,300 141,000 3,310 294,000

1914 3,890 72,400 4,890 -- 18,700 152 37,300 130,000 3,560 271,000

1915 4,000 69,300 4,840 -- 23,300 219 38,800 131,000 4,230 276,000

1916 4,140 73,000 4,800 -- 29,800 295 43,800 132,000 4,870 293,000

1917 4,120 69,200 5,490 -- 30,500 297 45,400 114,000 5,360 274,000

1918 4,050 65,200 5,690 -- 29,200 277 40,600 93,300 5,260 244,000

1919 3,860 67,400 5,670 -- 23,300 290 38,900 97,600 5,530 243,000

1920 3,750 67,200 6,900 -- 30,400 307 48,200 115,000 5,790 277,000

1921 3,520 58,200 5,470 -- 14,100 243 36,500 104,000 5,160 228,000

1922 4,180 64,100 7,130 -- 26,800 382 47,800 125,000 6,380 282,000

1923 4,220 70,100 8,340 -- 34,100 486 57,900 173,000 8,390 357,000

1924 4,260 67,200 8,420 -- 29,000 495 59,500 194,000 10,000 373,000

1925 4,560 66,300 9,450 -- 34,600 558 65,900 214,000 10,400 406,000

1926 4,600 65,100 10,500 -- 36,600 653 67,100 232,000 10,600 427,000

1927 4,860 61,300 10,800 -- 33,800 653 66,000 255,000 11,200 444,000

1928 4,750 59,500 11,300 -- 38,400 715 68,200 249,000 12,900 445,000

1929 4,940 61,700 12,200 -- 41,900 750 69,600 282,000 14,400 487,000

1930 4,410 49,500 11,200 -- 30,600 619 60,000 255,000 13,900 425,000

1931 4,280 36,200 10,300 -- 20,300 506 46,800 193,000 12,300 324,000

1932 3,640 27,500 8,830 -- 11,300 387 32,000 149,000 10,600 243,000

1933 4,180 31,200 9,900 -- 17,600 506 33,100 143,000 11,100 250,000

1934 3,620 32,900 10,200 -- 19,400 540 37,100 168,000 12,500 284,000

1935 4,070 38,000 11,600 -- 25,100 657 42,100 165,000 13,200 300,000

1936 4,360 44,500 13,300 -- 35,600 682 54,500 249,000 15,900 418,000

1937 5,010 46,800 14,500 -- 39,300 739 59,800 259,000 17,400 442,000

1938 4,040 41,300 12,300 -- 25,000 520 48,300 250,000 17,200 398,000

1939 5,280 46,000 14,500 -- 39,300 573 58,600 304,000 18,900 487,000

1940 6,420 48,700 15,200 -- 44,900 660 65,000 319,000 19,200 519,000

1941 7,280 56,300 18,500 -- 61,200 922 84,100 380,000 22,400 631,000

1942 6,410 56,300 17,900 -- 59,300 936 89,500 402,000 22,300 655,000

1943 6,640 52,100 17,600 -- 59,100 1,040 95,900 325,000 21,700 579,000
Table 1. U.S. raw materials put into use annually from 1900 through 2010, by category. Materials embedded in imported goods are not 

included.—Continued

[In thousand metric tons. Data are rounded to three significant digits. --, negligible or no data]

Year Agriculture

Forestry Metals and minerals

Nonrenewable 

organics

Total of 

Wood Paper and materials

paperboard

Recycled 

paper

Primary 

metals

Recycled 

metals

Industrial 

minerals

Construction 

materials

1944 6,260 50,400 17,600 -- 59,000 1,090 88,800 281,000 23,100 527,000

1945 6,070 44,500 17,800 -- 56,300 1,090 90,100 279,000 25,600 521,000

1946 6,800 51,400 20,400 -- 48,700 1,020 107,000 353,000 27,500 616,000

1947 6,800 53,000 22,400 -- 60,500 1,280 131,000 394,000 28,900 698,000

1948 7,310 54,500 23,700 -- 68,600 30,700 140,000 437,000 29,500 791,000

1949 6,630 47,700 22,400 -- 60,400 23,800 132,000 438,000 28,300 759,000

1950 7,100 56,200 26,300 -- 76,800 32,600 151,000 501,000 31,500 883,000

1951 6,860 53,600 27,700 -- 84,500 31,700 166,000 555,000 34,600 959,000

1952 6,720 53,800 26,300 -- 70,400 32,600 163,000 600,000 33,100 986,000

1953 6,820 53,500 28,400 -- 84,800 31,700 171,000 605,000 34,700 1,020,000

1954 6,680 52,900 28,500 -- 65,600 24,600 173,000 813,000 35,300 1,200,000

1955 6,880 54,700 31,500 -- 88,000 33,700 194,000 881,000 38,700 1,330,000

1956 6,840 55,100 33,100 -- 86,400 38,600 202,000 942,000 41,500 1,410,000

1957 5,990 48,700 32,000 -- 81,600 29,500 191,000 976,000 40,900 1,410,000

1958 5,800 49,800 31,900 -- 63,500 22,200 185,000 1,030,000 42,700 1,430,000

1959 6,390 54,600 35,100 -- 77,600 27,600 212,000 1,100,000 46,300 1,560,000

1960 6,380 49,100 27,200 8,400 76,500 24,900 207,000 1,120,000 47,300 1,560,000

1961 6,740 48,500 28,200 8,400 72,600 24,100 206,000 1,100,000 48,600 1,540,000

1962 7,220 50,600 30,000 8,460 78,500 24,400 218,000 1,140,000 51,800 1,610,000

1963 7,400 54,200 30,700 8,970 84,800 28,300 231,000 1,270,000 52,800 1,770,000

1964 7,650 57,000 33,000 9,190 94,200 30,600 245,000 1,340,000 55,500 1,870,000

1965 7,120 60,700 31,700 9,560 108,000 34,400 259,000 1,420,000 59,400 1,990,000

1966 7,540 61,000 34,900 9,880 107,000 35,300 273,000 1,480,000 64,000 2,070,000

1967 8,020 58,600 34,900 9,280 101,000 38,300 271,000 1,430,000 64,500 2,010,000

1968 9,100 60,900 37,200 9,600 114,000 38,300 282,000 1,460,000 70,600 2,080,000

1969 6,930 61,000 38,200 11,200 101,000 42,000 291,000 1,520,000 75,700 2,140,000

1970 6,560 60,200 36,800 11,400 96,000 38,100 287,000 1,530,000 80,400 2,150,000

1971 6,750 64,700 37,300 11,700 101,000 38,900 290,000 1,510,000 81,800 2,150,000

1972 7,540 66,900 40,500 12,400 106,000 46,600 309,000 1,540,000 85,400 2,220,000

1973 5,410 66,700 42,100 13,800 122,000 53,000 322,000 1,730,000 92,600 2,440,000

1974 4,770 57,900 40,900 14,200 118,000 57,100 316,000 1,650,000 91,500 2,350,000

1975 5,840 53,500 34,900 11,900 84,900 44,100 277,000 1,420,000 79,900 2,020,000

1976 5,880 60,300 39,700 14,000 102,000 47,200 297,000 1,500,000 89,200 2,160,000

1977 5,610 66,100 40,800 14,800 104,000 46,600 314,000 1,590,000 97,000 2,280,000

1978 5,340 68,800 43,100 15,200 116,000 48,300 332,000 1,730,000 99,100 2,450,000

1979 5,790 67,500 44,200 16,300 85,400 55,300 340,000 1,750,000 106,000 2,470,000

1980 5,040 58,800 42,500 16,300 94,600 49,800 312,000 1,500,000 113,000 2,190,000

1981 4,940 54,700 44,000 16,100 103,000 46,600 295,000 1,330,000 101,000 2,000,000

1982 5,330 55,300 41,800 15,500 85,400 34,100 258,000 1,180,000 91,300 1,770,000

1983 5,260 66,400 46,100 17,000 83,200 40,400 275,000 1,300,000 90,800 1,920,000

1984 5,650 71,500 49,500 18,600 97,200 44,000 311,000 1,480,000 95,500 2,170,000

1985 6,550 72,900 48,800 18,500 94,900 47,100 310,000 1,540,000 97,000 2,240,000

1986 6,170 77,900 50,200 20,400 89,200 47,900 301,000 1,630,000 97,300 2,320,000

1987 6,480 82,700 52,700 21,800 93,500 53,000 309,000 1,800,000 107,000 2,530,000
Table 1. U.S. raw materials put into use annually from 1900 through 2010, by category. Materials embedded in imported goods are not 

included.—Continued

[In thousand metric tons. Data are rounded to three significant digits. --, negligible or no data]

Year Agriculture

Forestry Metals and minerals

Nonrenewable 

organics

Total of 

Wood Paper and materials

paperboard

Recycled 

paper

Primary 

metals

Recycled 

metals

Industrial 

minerals

Construction 

materials

1988 5,880 80,300 52,900 23,700 78,400 57,300 323,000 1,870,000 110,000 2,600,000

1989 5,690 81,000 51,700 24,600 93,700 55,700 319,000 1,810,000 108,000 2,550,000

1990 5,480 77,900 51,300 26,400 94,300 58,900 320,000 1,840,000 115,000 2,590,000

1991 5,460 71,000 48,000 28,300 85,200 52,800 301,000 1,620,000 116,000 2,330,000

1992 5,240 74,800 48,600 30,800 91,900 54,600 310,000 1,790,000 121,000 2,530,000

1993 7,110 76,200 50,400 32,200 79,400 58,700 316,000 1,890,000 124,000 2,640,000

1994 7,240 77,400 50,300 36,000 106,000 62,900 339,000 2,020,000 130,000 2,830,000

1995 5,650 77,100 48,900 38,300 112,000 64,000 343,000 2,070,000 131,000 2,890,000

1996 5,740 77,800 46,400 39,100 118,000 62,200 356,000 2,150,000 133,000 2,990,000

1997 6,050 78,800 50,100 39,900 123,000 64,500 361,000 2,270,000 138,000 3,130,000

1998 5,680 80,600 50,700 40,900 128,000 61,400 370,000 2,480,000 145,000 3,360,000

1999 5,770 83,100 52,700 42,500 127,000 58,600 384,000 2,530,000 151,000 3,440,000

2000 5,280 82,300 50,600 42,900 130,000 61,400 373,000 2,560,000 141,000 3,450,000

2001 4,740 80,100 45,600 42,600 115,000 59,800 365,000 2,620,000 133,000 3,460,000

2002 4,920 82,600 45,000 43,200 109,000 60,700 357,000 2,540,000 135,000 3,380,000

2003 4,440 81,600 46,300 44,700 115,000 60,600 371,000 2,590,000 132,000 3,440,000

2004 4,530 89,100 48,900 45,600 126,000 63,800 392,000 2,760,000 142,000 3,670,000

2005 4,180 91,300 45,900 46,500 122,000 62,800 403,000 2,870,000 137,000 3,780,000

2006 3,880 85,700 44,600 48,400 127,000 64,200 384,000 3,000,000 135,000 3,890,000

2007 3,850 76,700 41,300 49,300 122,000 69,900 370,000 2,800,000 134,000 3,670,000

2008 3,050 57,600 37,900 47,000 107,000 78,400 346,000 2,450,000 123,000 3,250,000

2009 3,810 48,600 28,800 45,400 67,300 74,400 277,000 1,950,000 115,000 2,610,000

2010 3,620 49,100 30,600 46,800 85,400 70,500 294,000 1,870,000 116,000 2,570,000
Years

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 

Raw materials used, in million metric tons

0

500

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,500

Recessions

Oil crisis

World War II

Great Depression

World War I

Global finan

Construction materialsIndustrial minerals

Recycled metals

Primary metalsNonrenewable organicsRecycled paper

Paper and paperboardWoodAgriculture

EXPLANATION

Figure 2. U.S. raw materials put into use annually from 1900 through 2010. Materials embedded in imported goods are not included. [In m
Years

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 

Raw nonfuel minerals used, in million metric tons

0

500

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,000

Recessions

Oil crisis

World War II

Great Depression

World War I

Global finan

Primary metals Recycled metals Industrial minerals Construction materials

EXPLANATION

Figure 3. U.S. raw nonfuel minerals put into use annually from 1900 through 2010. Mineral materials embedded in imported goods are not metric tons]