CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada is the most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining investment, followed by Western Australia (2nd) and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan (3rd), according to the Annual Survey of Mining Companies released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank.
“The mining survey—now in its 21st year—is the most comprehensive report card on government policy decisions that either attract or scare away investors from around the world,” said Kenneth Green, resident scholar and chair of the Fraser Institute’s energy and environmental studies and co-author of the report.
This year’s survey of mining executives ranks 83 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness for minerals and metals and the extent that government policies encourage or deter exploration and investment.
Overall, investment attractiveness improved in most regions around the world.
This year, four Canadian provinces and four U.S. states made the top 10—Nevada (1), Saskatchewan (3), Quebec (4), Alaska (5), Utah (7), Arizona (8), Yukon (9) and the Northwest Territories (10).
The Australian jurisdictions of Victoria and Western Australia received higher scores on policy attractiveness this year, with respondents expressing decreased concern about political instability and regulatory uncertainty.
In South America, Chile continues its climb in the ranking, placing 6th this year in overall investment attractiveness compared to 8th last year. Meanwhile, neighbouring Peru also continued to improve, ranking 14th overall this year, from 19th last year and 28th the year before.
As a whole, Canada is once again the most attractive region for mining investment in the world followed by Australia, the United States, Europe, Oceania, Latin America, Africa, and lastly, Argentina.
“The evidence is clear—mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract precious commodity investment dollars,” said Ashley Stedman, a senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and study co-author.
“A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive fiscal policies is key to making a jurisdiction attractive in the eyes of mining investors.”
| Most attractive jurisdictions for mining investment | Least attractive jurisdictions for mining investment |
| 1) Nevada | 74) Bolivia |
| 2) Western Australia | 75) La Rioja |
| 3) Saskatchewan | 76) Dominican Republic |
| 4) Quebec | 77) Ethiopia |
| 5) Alaska | 78) China |
| 6) Chile | 79) Panama |
| 7) Utah | 80) Guatemala |
| 8) Arizona | 81) Nicaragua |
| 9) Yukon | 82) Neuquen |
| 10) Northwest Territories | 83) Venezuela |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kenneth Green, Resident Scholar and Chair, Energy and Environmental Studies
Fraser Institute
Ashley Stedman, Senior Policy Analyst
Fraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Bryn Weese, Senior Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute
Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 589
E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org.