CALGARY - Nevada is the most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining investment followed by Arizona (2nd) and 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 Fraser Institute's mining survey is the most comprehensive report on 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.
This year's report ranks 77 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness (minerals and metals) and government policies that encourage or deter exploration and investment.
Rounding out the top 10 jurisdictions are Western Australia (4th down from 1st last year), Alaska (5th), Quebec (6th), South Australia (7th), Newfoundland and Labrador (8th), Idaho (9th) and Finland (10th).
This year's least-attractive jurisdictions include Venezuela and three Argentinian provinces (see complete list of top 10 least-attractive jurisdictions below).
"A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive taxes make a jurisdiction attractive to investors," said Jairo Yunis, Fraser Institute policy analyst and report co-author.
| Most attractive jurisdictions for mining investment | Least attractive jurisdictions for mining investment |
| 1) Nevada | 77) Venezuela |
| 2) Arizona | 76) Argentina: Chubut |
| 3) Saskatchewan | 75) Tanzania |
| 4) Western Australia | 74) Indonesia |
| 5) Alaska | 73) Argentina: La Rioja |
| 6) Quebec | 72) Bolivia |
| 7) South Australia | 71) Argentina: Mendoza |
| 8) Newfoundland and Labrador | 70) Zimbabwe |
| 9) Idaho | 69) Spain |
| 10) Finland | 68) Michigan |
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.
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