South Australia charges up list of world’s top mining investment destinations

South Australia’s reputation as a global mining investment destination has increased dramatically in an annual survey, jumping from 35^th in last year’s Fraser Institute study to fourth.

After not having one single jurisdiction in the top 15 in the previous survey, Australia joined the US, Canada and Europe with two in this year’s top 10.

Notably, Western Australia bounced back into sixth place this year after sliding significantly last year out to 17^th.

Survey results for best practices mineral potential saw South Australia come in first and Western Australia fourth.

South Australia’s improvement was driven primarily by a rise in perceived mineral potential which increased by 33.33 points and saw its ranking climb from 34th of 58 to first of 41.

Other Australian jurisdictions that made it into the top 50 in the annual survey are Queensland 13^th, Tasmania 16^th, NSW 27^th, the Northern Territory 32^nd and Victoria 48^th.

The report ranked 68 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness (minerals and metals) and government policies that encourage or deter exploration and investment.

Nevada was rated as the most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining investment, followed by Ontario and Saskatchewan, according to the annual survey conducted by the non- partisan Canadian policy think-tank,

The least-attractive jurisdiction in the index is China, followed by Burkina Faso, Egypt, Philippines and Mali. On policies alone, Nevada ranks first, while China ranked last.

“The Fraser Institute’s mining survey is the most comprehensive report on not just a jurisdiction’s mineral potential, but also government policies that either attract or discourage mining investors,” said Elmira Aliakbari, director of the Fraser Institute’s Centre for Natural Resource Studies and co-author of the report.

“A sound, predictable regulatory regime coupled with competitive fiscal policies make a jurisdiction attractive to investors,” Ms Aliakbari said.

“Policymakers across the globe should understand that mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract investment.

The Fraser Institute’s 2025 annual survey of mining and exploration companies attempts to assess how mineral endowments and public policy factors such as taxation and regulatory uncertainty affect exploration investment. The survey was circulated electronically to approximately 2,304 individuals from August 5 to November 26, 2025. Survey responses were tallied to rank provinces, states and countries according to the extent that public policy factors encourage or discourage mining investment.