Gold mining occurs on every continent except Antarctica, often in remote and poorly connected areas with little infrastructure or alternative economic activity. This briefing note aims to help quantify the size of the direct financial contribution of 31 World Gold Council (WGC) member companies in 2021.

Their direct impact has been quantified in four main categories:

  • Payments to governments (including taxes and royalties)
  • Payments to suppliers
  • Payments to employees
  • Payments to communities Mining is a complex, multi-year business.

This data is based solely on a one-year snapshot in time and does not represent the full mining cycle. However, it does help to demonstrate the sizable economic impact of the gold mining industry, especially in developing economies