Mexico is the #1 Silver Producer in the World

Since pre-Columbian times, silver has been crucial to the economy and history of Mexico. The Aztec empire demanded silver tributes. The Spanish empire established mines across Mexico, using the indigenous people for mining and digging. The peso was originally a unit of silver. The silver boom in Mexico was in part a reason for rampant piracy in the Caribbean.
Mexico produces over 20% of the world’s silver supply. In 2022, Mexico produced 6,300 metric tons of silver.
Today, most of Mexico’s mining is conducted by US and Canadian firms that have advanced technology to dig deeper mines and refine silver from ore. Most of the silver mining occurs int the northwest states.
Silver production is an expensive process with significant environmental impacts. Silver mining involves extracting ore which is sent to a processing plant where it is crushed, ground, and separated using various techniques including chemical leaching, smelting, and electrolysis. Then the silver is refined to remove impurities.
Works Cited:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/culture/mexicos-history-and-perhaps-its-future-is-written-in-silver/