Utah is the most attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining investment followed by Nevada, 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, and this year Utah ranks highest of anywhere in the world,” 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 86 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 five jurisdictions are Quebec and Western Australia.

The least-attractive jurisdiction for mining investment is Niger and, in fact, of the 10 least-attractive jurisdictions in the world, four are in Africa.

“A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive taxes make a jurisdiction attractive to investors,” Aliakbari said.

“Policymakers across the globe should understand that mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract investment.”

Most attractive jurisdictions for mining investment	Least attractive jurisdictions for mining investment
1)   Utah	86) Niger
2)   Nevada	85) China
3)   Saskatchewan	84) Solomon Islands
4)   Western Australia	83) La Rioja
5)   Quebec	82) Mozambique
6)   Manitoba	81) Zimbabwe
7)   Arizona	80) Senegal
8)   Northern Territory	79) Kazakhstan
9)   Newfoundland & Labrador	78) Bolivia
10)   Ontario	77) Cambodia

MEDIA CONTACTS: Elmira Aliakbari, Director, Centre for Natural Resource StudiesFraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute604-688-0221 ext. 721drue.macpherson@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