Utah is the most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining investment followed by Nevada and Saskatchewan, according to Fraser Institute’s 2023 annual mining survey. The ranking is based on the jurisdictions’ overall investment, mining policy, and geological attractiveness.
“The Fraser Institute’s mining survey is the most comprehensive report on government policies that either attract or discourage mining investors, and this year Utah ranks highest of anywhere in the world,” said Elmira Aliakbari, director of the Fraser Institute’s Centre for Natural Resource Studies and co-author of the report. Utah had moved up from 17th place in 2022, while Nevada dropped to second from first place.
A total of 293 respondents participated in the survey providing sufficient data to evaluate 86 jurisdictions around the world. When assessing policy factors alone, Utah still led the ranking followed by Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Botswana, Nevada, Quebec, Arizona, Finland, Wyoming and Alberta.
“A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive taxes make a jurisdiction attractive to investors,” Aliakbari said. “Policymakers across the globe should understand that mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract investment.”
According to the institute, the least-attractive jurisdiction for mining investment is Niger. In fact, Africa has the most jurisdictions in the bottom 10: Niger (86th), Mozambique (82nd), Zimbabwe (81st) and Senegal (80th). Zimbabwe has been in the bottom 10 in the previous 10 editions of the mining survey.
The full report can be viewed here.
Source: Fraser Institute