Overall, the value of globally exported diamonds dropped by an average -17% for all exporting countries since 2017 when global shipments of diamonds were valued at $131.9 billion.
Year over year, the value of exported diamonds accelerated by 43.5% from $76.3 billion during 2020.
The 5 major exporters of diamonds were India, United States of America, Hong Kong, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates. Combined, that quintet of leading exporters generated well over two-thirds (71.4%) of international diamond sales in 2021.
Among continents, suppliers in Asia sold $64.8 billion or 59.2% worth of exported diamonds in 2021. European exporters generated 18.3% worth trailed by North America at another 14.9%.
Smaller percentages of global diamond exports belong to Africa (7.4%), mostly Australia in Oceania (0.2%), then Latin America (0.04%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 7102 for unmounted and unset diamonds.
Diamond Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of diamonds during 2021.
- India: US$24.7 billion (22.6% of total diamonds exports)
- United States: $14.8 billion (13.5%)
- Hong Kong: $14 billion (12.8%)
- Belgium: $12.5 billion (11.4%)
- United Arab Emirates: $12.2 billion (11.1%)
- Israel: $8.8 billion (8%)
- Russia: $4.5 billion (4.1%)
- Botswana: $3.2 billion (2.9%)
- South Africa: $2.4 billion (2.2%)
- China: $2.1 billion (1.9%)
- Switzerland: $1.63 billion (1.5%)
- Angola: $1.55 billion (1.4%)
- Canada: $1.54 billion (1.4%)
- Thailand: $1.25 billion (1.1%)
- Singapore: $1.16 billion (1.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.1% of global diamonds exported in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing diamonds exporters since 2020 were: China (up 91.3%), Canada (up 72.4%), South Africa (up 71.9%) and India (up 62.7%).
The only major exporter to post a decline in its sales of exported diamonds was Botswana via a -15.1% reduction.
Countries Earning Biggest Surpluses Trading Diamonds
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for unset diamonds during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s diamond exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Russia: US$4.4 billion (net export surplus up 39% since 2020)
- Israel: $4.3 billion (up 65.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: $2.1 billion (up 917.3%)
- Botswana: $1.69 billion (down -3.5%)
- South Africa: $1.68 billion (up 71.5%)
- Angola: $1.55 billion (up 45.1%)
- Canada: $1.1 billion (up 80.3%)
- Belgium: $1 billion (up 402.7%)
- Namibia: $432.5 million (down -36.7%)
- Lesotho: $321.3 million (up 20%)
- Singapore: $101.7 million (reversing an -$85.8 million deficit)
- Zimbabwe: $69.9 million (down -50.4%)
- Democr. Rep. Congo: $67.4 million (down -40.6%)
- Sierra Leone: $49.8 million (down -24.5%)
- Brazil: $19.7 million (down -13.4%)
Overtaking Israel in 2021, the Russian Federation garnered the highest surplus in the international trade of unmounted diamonds. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Russia’s strong competitive advantage in the global diamond trade.
Countries Causing Worst Deficits Trading Diamonds
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for unset diamonds during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s diamond import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$5.5 billion (net export deficit up 162.9% since 2020)
- India: -$1.5 billion (up 124.9%)
- Hong Kong: -$1.4 billion (up 52.4%)
- United Kingdom: -$710.2 million (up 1446.8%)
- Italy: -$642.7 million (up 118.1%)
- Japan: -$586.7 million (up 31.9%)
- Thailand: -$494 million (up 41.3%)
- France: -$417.2 million (up 53.6%)
- Australia: -$340.3 million (up 349.3%)
- Vietnam: -$318.3 million (reversing a $25 million surplus)
- Switzerland: -$190.2 million (down -37.1%)
- Germany: -$144.8 million (down -1.4%)
- Mexico: -$115.6 million (up 128.4%)
- South Korea: -$103.6 million (up 33.8%)
- Turkey: -$102.2 million (up 21.8%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of unmounted diamonds. In turn, these negative cashflows highlight America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category. Also revealed are opportunities for diamond-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Diamonds Exporting Companies
Below are companies that dominate the global diamond trade based on Bain & Company’s 2017 Diamond Industry Report. Shown within parenthesis is the country where the company is headquartered.
- De Beers (Luxembourg)
- ALROSA (Russia)
- Rio Tinto Group (United Kingdom)
- Dominion Diamond Corporation (Canada)
- Petra (Jersey)
Israel Diamond Exchange is the world’s biggest diamond trading business.
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are multinational diamond traders located in the country shown within parentheses.
- Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. (India)
- Debswana Diamond Company Ltd. (Botswana)
- Namibia Diamond Trading Company (Namibia)
Searchable List of Diamond Exporting Countries in 2021
Showcased below are the export sales of diamonds from 100 of the 108 supplying countries in 2021.
These top 100 diamond exporters accounted for virtually all diamonds sold on global markets during 2021 (a total 99.99997% by value).
| Rank | Exporter | Diamond Exports (US$) | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | India | $24,745,997,000 | +62.7% |
| 2. | United States | $14,774,911,000 | +42% |
| 3. | Hong Kong | $14,012,224,000 | +33.4% |
| 4. | Belgium | $12,462,971,000 | +52.6% |
| 5. | United Arab Emirates | $12,184,086,000 | +40.5% |
| 6. | Israel | $8,762,921,000 | +61.7% |
| 7. | Russia | $4,541,353,000 | +39.9% |
| 8. | Botswana | $3,185,943,000 | -15.1% |
| 9. | South Africa | $2,353,918,000 | +71.9% |
| 10. | China | $2,118,168,000 | +91.3% |
| 11. | Switzerland | $1,629,044,000 | +39% |
| 12. | Angola | $1,550,315,000 | +45.1% |
| 13. | Canada | $1,544,987,000 | +72.4% |
| 14. | Thailand | $1,245,216,000 | +33.4% |
| 15. | Singapore | $1,163,258,000 | +47.1% |
| 16. | United Kingdom | $847,264,000 | +49.8% |
| 17. | Namibia | $441,855,000 | -41.7% |
| 18. | Lesotho | $321,330,000 | +20% |
| 19. | France | $244,814,000 | +18.3% |
| 20. | Australia | $174,767,000 | -39.9% |
| 21. | Vietnam | $153,855,000 | -31.4% |
| 22. | Italy | $142,209,000 | +0.4% |
| 23. | Sri Lanka | $124,674,000 | +50.3% |
| 24. | Armenia | $103,682,000 | +45.4% |
| 25. | Germany | $82,068,000 | +67.8% |
| 26. | Zimbabwe | $69,877,000 | -50.4% |
| 27. | Mauritius | $68,665,000 | +34.8% |
| 28. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $67,401,000 | -40.6% |
| 29. | Sierra Leone | $50,099,000 | -24.5% |
| 30. | Japan | $39,753,000 | +71.2% |
| 31. | Brazil | $35,578,000 | +24.6% |
| 32. | Turkey | $31,158,000 | -16% |
| 33. | Malaysia | $28,217,000 | +103.2% |
| 34. | Spain | $18,439,000 | +137.2% |
| 35. | Cambodia | $16,717,000 | -38.2% |
| 36. | Taiwan | $12,277,000 | +12.5% |
| 37. | Lebanon | $11,512,000 | -95.4% |
| 38. | Netherlands | $10,322,000 | -6.1% |
| 39. | Liberia | $10,293,000 | +14.9% |
| 40. | Austria | $8,707,000 | +231.1% |
| 41. | Tanzania | $8,517,000 | -57.2% |
| 42. | South Korea | $8,477,000 | +104.3% |
| 43. | Bahrain | $7,028,000 | +528.6% |
| 44. | Guinea | $5,919,000 | -26.4% |
| 45. | Central African Rep | $5,078,000 | -24.7% |
| 46. | Denmark | $4,464,000 | +19.9% |
| 47. | Guyana | $3,758,000 | +595.9% |
| 48. | Mexico | $3,165,000 | -88% |
| 49. | Ireland | $2,378,000 | +76.9% |
| 50. | Sweden | $2,362,000 | +461% |
| 51. | Czech Republic | $2,219,000 | -50.2% |
| 52. | Albania | $2,026,000 | 0% |
| 53. | Ghana | $1,427,000 | +275.5% |
| 54. | Portugal | $1,219,000 | +30375% |
| 55. | Greece | $1,003,000 | -23.4% |
| 56. | Panama | $817,000 | -48.2% |
| 57. | Macao | $761,000 | +928.4% |
| 58. | Indonesia | $745,000 | +380.6% |
| 59. | Ivory Coast | $688,000 | +226.1% |
| 60. | Ukraine | $612,000 | -66.9% |
| 61. | Laos | $595,000 | -20.9% |
| 62. | Oman | $447,000 | +1342% |
| 63. | Bulgaria | $432,000 | +4220% |
| 64. | Norway | $294,000 | +206.3% |
| 65. | Latvia | $285,000 | +790.6% |
| 66. | Guam | $249,000 | 0% |
| 67. | Poland | $221,000 | +62.5% |
| 68. | British Virgin Islands | $183,000 | -11.6% |
| 69. | Croatia | $180,000 | +40.6% |
| 70. | Qatar | $176,000 | -78.1% |
| 71. | Br. Indian Ocean Terr. | $155,000 | 0% |
| 72. | Lithuania | $150,000 | +74.4% |
| 73. | Eswatini | $99,000 | 0% |
| 74. | Slovakia | $91,000 | +111.6% |
| 75. | Bahamas | $84,000 | 0% |
| 76. | Dominican Republic | $78,000 | -46.9% |
| 77. | Afghanistan | $74,000 | 0% |
| 78. | Hungary | $60,000 | -23.1% |
| 79. | Venezuela | $58,000 | 0% |
| 80. | Estonia | $55,000 | -33.7% |
| 81. | Kuwait | $47,000 | +46.9% |
| 82. | Finland | $45,000 | -80.7% |
| 83. | Gibraltar | $37,000 | 0% |
| 84. | Cyprus | $35,000 | +400% |
| 85. | Cameroon | $34,000 | +6.3% |
| 86. | Iran | $32,000 | 0% |
| 87. | Aruba | $32,000 | 0% |
| 88. | New Zealand | $29,000 | -90.3% |
| 89. | Belize | $27,000 | -70.3% |
| 90. | Slovenia | $26,000 | +1200% |
| 91. | Zambia | $21,000 | -52.3% |
| 92. | Barbados | $10,000 | -90.4% |
| 93. | Malta | $9,000 | 0% |
| 94. | US Minor Outlying Is | $8,000 | 0% |
| 95. | Uruguay | $8,000 | 0% |
| 96. | Turks/Caicos Is | $8,000 | 0% |
| 97. | Kazakhstan | $7,000 | 0% |
| 98. | French Polynesia | $7,000 | 0% |
| 99. | Congo | $6,000 | -64.7% |
| 100. | Andorra | $5,000 | 0% |
The fastest-growing diamond exporters from 2020 to 2021 were Portugal (up 30,375%), Bulgaria (up 4,220%), Oman (up 1,342%), Slovenia (up 1,200%) and Macao (up 928.4%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. The right-most column records the change in value for exported diamonds from 2020 to 2021. An entry of 0% in that column means that no 2020 data was available.
See also Diamond Imports by Country, Exported Paintings and Drawings by Country, Gold Exports by Country Plus Average Prices and Silver Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Bain & Company, Diamond Industry Report 2017 (p10) . Accessed on June 16, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on June 16, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 16, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 16, 2022
Wikipedia, Diamond Mining Companies. Accessed on June 16, 2022
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on June 16, 2022
