Is Vanadium a Rare Earth Metal? No, and Here's Why

No. Vanadium is not a rare earth metal. It is a transition metal, atomic number 23, in Group 5 of the periodic table. The rare earth group is the 15 lanthanides from atomic number 57 to 71, plus yttrium, and scandium is sometimes added. Vanadium sits outside all of them.

The confusion is understandable. Both are listed as critical minerals, both come mostly from China, and both turn up in talk about batteries and clean energy. But the label comes from where an element sits in the periodic table, not from its price, its scarcity or its strategic value. If you hold a licence, advise on a project or read a company presentation, the difference changes the deposit you look for, the assays you order, the buyers you sell to and the price you check.

Is vanadium a rare earth metal or a transition metal?

Vanadium is a transition metal. It sits in Period 4 of the periodic table, between titanium and chromium, in the same row as iron, nickel and copper. Transition metals form compounds in several oxidation states (different numbers of electrons given up in bonding), and vanadium is known for this: it is what lets a vanadium flow battery store charge in liquid form.

Rare earths are a separate block. USGS describes the group as lanthanum to lutetium, with yttrium counted because it behaves alike and occurs in the same deposits. Scandium is chemically similar and is sometimes included, which is how you reach the “17 rare earth elements” often quoted. USGS leaves promethium out of deposit discussions because it is rare and unstable in nature.

Three quick tests that separate them

• Atomic number: vanadium is 23. Rare earths are 57 to 71, plus yttrium at 39 and sometimes scandium at 21.
• Host rock: vanadium comes chiefly from iron-titanium ores. Rare earths come from minerals such as bastnaesite and monazite.
• How it is reported: vanadium is reported as V2O5 (vanadium pentoxide) or as vanadium content. Rare earths are reported as REO (rare earth oxides).

Vanadium vs rare earth metals: side-by-side comparison

The table sets vanadium beside the rare earth group and three other metals used in steel. All figures are USGS estimates for 2025. Watch the basis in each row, because it differs by commodity.

Note the spread inside the rare earth group: neodymium oxide was worth about 73 times lanthanum oxide. Treating “rare earths” as one price is a common error in project summaries. Vanadium has no such basket problem, as a single metal is being sold, though its product form still matters.

Is vanadium rare? How common it is in the crust

Vanadium is not rare in the ordinary sense. USGS calls it the 22nd most abundant element in the crust, and 156 minerals contain it as a major constituent. USGS puts its average at about 60 parts per million (ppm) in the upper continental crust and higher in the bulk crust. USGS gives 230 ppm for the bulk continental crust. Copper averages 60 ppm for the whole crust, so vanadium is at least as common as copper.

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Vanadium is at least as common as copper in the crust

Average crustal abundance, parts per million (ppm)

The name “rare earth” misleads too. USGS says most rare earths are not as rare as the name suggests, and cerium is more common than copper or lead. What is scarce for both is a deposit worth mining. USGS notes vanadium makes up less than 2% of its host rock, and that minable rare earth concentrations are less common than for most other mineral commodities.

Where vanadium comes from: ores and deposit types

USGS groups the deposits used commercially into four main types: vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM, an iron-titanium oxide ore), sandstone-hosted, shale-hosted and vanadate deposits. VTM is the principal source and holds the largest ore tonnages among those being mined. For background on these families, see our guide to types of ore deposits.

• VTM deposits: magmatic layers of magnetite and ilmenite, as in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex. Vanadium usually follows the iron through the steel route.
• Sandstone-hosted deposits: often with uranium, as on the Colorado Plateau. USGS reports Utah mining of these rocks stopped in early 2020 and had not restarted in 2025.
• Black shales: USGS says concentrations regularly exceed 0.18% V2O5 and can reach 1.7%, though enriched beds are often only a few metres thick.
• Vanadate deposits: vanadinite and related minerals in oxidised zones, such as the old Otavi Mountainland workings in Namibia.

Patronite, a vanadium sulfide, is the other mineral name you will meet, from the historic Mina Ragra deposit in Peru. It is a mineral of interest, not the main source of today’s supply.

Why byproduct supply matters

In China, USGS says most output is a coproduct of titanomagnetite ores processed during steelmaking. So supply responds partly to iron and steel decisions, not only to the vanadium price. There is also secondary supply. The United States mines no primary vanadium but recovers it from petroleum residues, spent catalysts and utility ash, an estimated 7,500 t in 2025.

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Who mines vanadium: production and reserves by country

China dominates both vanadium and rare earths, at about 75% and 69% of 2025 mine output on USGS figures (82,000 of 110,000 t, and 270,000 of 390,000 t REO). Reserves tell a different story for vanadium.

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China leads vanadium mine output

Estimated 2025 production, tonnes of vanadium content

USGS lists world reserves of 21 million t: Australia 10 million t, China 5.8 million t, Russia 5 million t, South Africa 520,000 t, Brazil 94,000 t and the United States 50,000 t. Australia shows no mine production, and USGS notes that only 2.3 million t of its figure is Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant or equivalent. For a producer-level view, read our overview of vanadium mining in Australia. Exploration readers can also compare our nickel, cobalt, graphite and vanadium exploration guide.

What vanadium is used for, and why it differs from rare earths

Vanadium strengthens steel. SFA (Oxford) puts steel at approximately 85% of global demand, and USGS reports metallurgical use at more than 90% of reported US consumption in 2025. These are different scopes, so both can be right. Rare earths do a different job: USGS names magnets as the leading global use and catalysts as the leading US use.

• Steel: small additions go into high-strength low-alloy steel and rebar. China’s vanadium rebar standard became mandatory on 25 September 2024. It is usually supplied as ferrovanadium, an iron-vanadium alloy that USGS says comes in 45 to 50% and 80% vanadium grades.
• Aerospace: USGS states there is no acceptable substitute in aerospace titanium alloys. In steel, it can partly be swapped for manganese, molybdenum, niobium, titanium or tungsten.
• Catalysts: the main non-metallurgical use, for making sulfuric acid and maleic anhydride.
• Flow batteries: vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) store energy in vanadium electrolyte. USGS reported 3 to 6 kg of vanadium per kWh and vanadium at 30 to 50% of battery cost (2023 data). High capital cost and limited high-purity feedstock remained challenges in 2025.

Is vanadium a critical mineral?

Yes, in the United States. Vanadium is on the final 2025 US List of Critical Minerals, published 7 November 2025, which has 60 minerals and also includes the rare earths individually. Being on that list is about supply risk and economic importance. It does not make vanadium a rare earth, and this is where many articles blur the two terms.

The notice says the list is dynamic and will be updated, so check the current version before citing it in a presentation. Readers tracking the rare earth side can see our US rare earth minerals map and Wyoming rare earth deposits.

Vanadium price: what the market is doing

Vanadium is usually priced as V2O5 per pound or ferrovanadium per kilogram or tonne, unlike rare earths, which are priced per kilogram of oxide. USGS gives an average Chinese V2O5 price (98% V2O5) of US$9.29/lb in 2022 falling to US$5.02/lb in 2025. Quoted prices on Vanadium Price were about US$4.97/lb in China (15 October 2026) and US$5.43/lb in Europe (7 October 2026) for 98% flake. These move, so check them on the day.

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V2O5 price fell by almost half from 2022 to 2025

Chinese annual average vanadium pentoxide price (98% V2O5), US$ per pound

USGS ties vanadium mostly to the steel market, especially in China. The Investing News Network reported in August 2026 that analysts broadly expect a modest deficit by late 2026, while noting the timing depends on how fast Chinese producers respond. Treat that as an opinion, not a firm forecast.

What this means for licence owners, consultants and investors

If a report or pitch uses “rare earth” and “vanadium” together, run these checks.

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1. Read the assay basis. Vanadium grades appear as % V2O5 or ppm V. USGS’s factor is V2O5 content x 0.56 = vanadium content. Mixing them overstates a grade by nearly double.
2. Identify the host mineral. Vanadium locked in magnetite follows a very different process route from vanadium in shale clays. Grade alone does not tell you whether it can be recovered.
3. Ask about the iron and titanium. Many VTM projects depend on those coproducts or on a nearby smelter. Ask who would process the ore.
4. Separate reserves, resources and targets. USGS warns that world resources are not fully indicative of available supplies, since most vanadium is a byproduct.
5. Use a dated price. A V2O5 price from a peak year can make a project look far better than today’s price does.
6. Check for a laboratory result. Any screening result is only a target until samples are assayed. Our guide to mineral assay services covers the testing options.

Satellite screening can help narrow large ground before sampling, for example by mapping rock units and structures. Farmonaut offers satellite-based mineral detection for early exploration; ask whether your commodity and geology are in scope through the mining quote form. It does not replace assays. You can also contact our team with general questions.

Environmental and health points near vanadium sites

USGS gives typical background levels of 10 to 500 ppm in soils and 0.2 to 2.9 parts per billion in streams and rivers, with much higher soil values near some sources. Toxicity is thought to come from intakes above about 10 to 20 mg per day. It also noted, in 2017, that US primary and secondary drinking water regulations for vanadium were not in place, so check the current local rules.

In practice, baseline soil and water sampling before work starts, plus monitoring of tailings and processing residues, gives you a record to compare against later. Some deposit types also hold uranium, as on the Colorado Plateau, which adds radiation and permitting questions. Monazite-bearing rare earth deposits can raise similar questions, so ask for the radiometric data on either kind of project.

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Frequently asked questions

Is vanadium a rare earth element?

No. Vanadium is element 23, a transition metal. Rare earth elements are the lanthanides (57 to 71) plus yttrium, with scandium sometimes included.

Is vanadium a rare earth mineral?

No. Vanadium occurs in its own minerals, such as vanadinite and patronite, and inside magnetite and ilmenite. Rare earth minerals include bastnaesite and monazite.

Is vanadium rare?

Not in the crust. USGS ranks it the 22nd most abundant element, at about 60 ppm in the upper crust. Rich, recoverable deposits are the scarcer thing, and it mostly comes as a byproduct or coproduct.

What is vanadium?

A hard, silver-grey transition metal with the symbol V. Most of it is used to make stronger steel, and it is also used in aerospace titanium alloys, catalysts and flow batteries.

Is vanadium a critical mineral?

Yes. It is on the final 2025 US List of Critical Minerals. That status reflects supply risk, not its chemical group.

Why do people confuse vanadium with rare earths?

Both are on critical mineral lists, both are led by Chinese output, and both are linked with energy technology. The classification rests on periodic table position, not on these market traits.

Which country produces the most vanadium?

China, at an estimated 82,000 t of the 110,000 t world total in 2025 (USGS). Russia was next at 21,000 t, then Brazil at 5,300 t and South Africa at 5,000 t.

What is ferrovanadium?

An iron-vanadium alloy and the usual way steelmakers buy vanadium. USGS describes grades of 45 to 50% and 80% vanadium.

Are vanadium batteries made with rare earths?

A vanadium redox flow battery stores energy in vanadium electrolyte, so vanadium, not a rare earth, is its active metal. Rare earths are more closely tied to permanent magnets.

Is vanadium toxic?

USGS describes it as a micronutrient with a postulated human need under 10 micrograms a day, and toxicity is thought to start at intakes above about 10 to 20 mg per day. Follow local limits at mine and plant sites.

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