Zijin Mining has advanced to the 251st position on the 2025 Forbes Global 2000 list, marking a rise of 16 places from the previous year. In the global metals and mining sector, Zijin has climbed from fifth to fourth place while maintaining its status as the leading gold miner worldwide. This advancement highlights Zijin’s steady growth and adaptability through various business cycles.
The Forbes ranking is based on four metrics: revenue, profits, assets, and market value. These criteria are equally weighted to provide a balanced assessment of corporate strength.
In 2024, Zijin Mining reported record performance due to increased production volumes, higher commodity prices, and effective cost management. The company recorded a net profit attributable to shareholders of RMB 32.1 billion (US$4.5 billion), which placed it fifth among global miners and represented a significant 52% increase year-on-year. Zijin has also been progressing towards sustainable growth by adhering to international ESG standards. While its production capacity continues to grow, total carbon emissions fell by 17.96% year-on-year in 2024.
Among the top five global metals and mining companies are BHP (125th), Rio Tinto (135th), Vale (249th), Zijin Mining (251st), and Newmont (318th). Zijin surpassed Vale in both revenue and market capitalization. Newmont entered the top five for gold miners, while Glencore dropped to eighth place after three years in the top three.
In gold mining rankings, Zijin maintained its lead followed by Newmont and Barrick. Rising gold prices have boosted these companies’ standings with Newmont showing improved profitability that helped it surpass Barrick for the first time in years.
Within Chinese metals and mining companies on the list, Zijin leads with a substantial share of profits at 30%. It accounts for 16% of total revenue among Chinese peers and nearly 40% of their market capitalization.
Forbes noted that although there was a slight decrease in U.S.-based companies on the list from 621 to 612, the U.S. remains dominant with China following second with 358 companies included. Financial institutions were most prevalent on this year’s list.
