Titanium
EU import reliance for titanium metal is 100%. The EU produces no titanium sponge, the porous primary metal that is melted into ingot.
Figures
Titanium in four figures
EU import reliance
100%
net imports of titanium metal as a share of EU apparent consumption
Source: European Commission, 2023 study (2016 to 2020)
World sponge
About
70%
China’s share of world titanium sponge production, 2025
Source: USGS 2026
Main EU source
36%
Kazakhstan. Next is Russia with 34%.
Source: European Commission, 2023 study (2016 to 2020)
EU demand
9,812t
of titanium metal a year
Source: SCRREEN, titanium factsheet
Data as of 27 October 2026
Supply in Europe
Europe’s own supply
EU capacity as a share of EU titanium metal demand, 2016 to 2020.
- EU demand100%
- EU extraction capacity0%
- EU processing capacity0%
- EU recycling capacityAbout 1%
One grain is 1% of EU titanium metal demand. Source: European Court of Auditors, Special report 04/2026, Figure 5 (2016 to 2020)
Outlook
What comes next
- Known resources
- Ore resources equal to more than 500 years of EU demand
- EU imports
- €639m of titanium ores and unwrought metal in 2025. South Africa supplied 23%.
Sources: SCRREEN; Eurostat Comext. Resources are not reserves.
Origin
Where titanium comes from
Use
Where titanium is used
Aerospace and defence
600 to 700kt
of titanium the sector could need over the next decade
Source: Roland Berger, July 2026
Gap
About
100kt
possible cumulative supply gap over that decade
Source: Roland Berger, July 2026
Events
Events and measures
- Feb 2022
- Russia
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine exposes Europe’s reliance on Russian titanium. Before the pandemic Airbus and Safran each bought about half their titanium from VSMPO-Avisma.
Source: JRC, 2022
- European Commission, Study on the critical raw materials for the EU (2023)
- European Court of Auditors, Special report 04/2026, Critical raw materials for the energy transition
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
- SCRREEN, titanium factsheet
- Roland Berger, Building resilience in Europe’s aerospace & defence supply chains (July 2026)
- JRC, Titanium metal: impact assessment for supply security (2022)
- Eurostat Comext, extra-EU imports 2025
