Infographic chart depicting the location and relative abundance of rare earth elements. Rare earth elements are a group of 17 elements many of which are crucial for use in technology such as catalysts, magnets, special alloys, glass and high performance electronics. China dominates the table having 37.9% of the world's reserves of rare earth elements. Vietnam and Brazil have the second and third most abundant reserves however they are not the most productive in terms of mine production. The smaller graph at the bottom right of the image reveals how China, USA and Myanmar were the top three for mine production of rare earth elements in 2020. Data from USGS in 2020.