Adam Webb

Costs in the gold mining industry resumed their upward trajectory in the first quarter of this year. This followed a short-lived break in Q4’22, when gold miners’ average all-in sustaining costs (AISC) had fallen by 1% q/q. Prior to this, costs had risen for the past three consecutive quarters, stretching back to Q1’22.

Average all-in sustaining costs (AISC) in the gold mining industry increased by 1% q-o-q in Q3’22, reaching a new record high of US$1,289/oz.

In Q2’22 costs in the gold mining industry continued rising. The average all-in sustaining cost (AISC) reached a new record high of US$1,289/oz, up 3% q/q and 18% y/y. The average industry AISC has now sequentially increased almost every quarter since Q2’20, rising by 33% over this period.

Global average All-in Sustaining Costs (AISC) in the gold mining industry were US$1,129/oz in Q4’21, almost unchanged from the previous quarter.

All-in Sustaining Costs (AISC) across the gold mining industry averaged US$1,123/oz in Q3’21, a rise of 4% q-o-q and the highest level since 2013. This is the fourth consecutive quarter of cost growth, with the average AISC up a significant 16% since the corresponding quarter in 2020.

Global average All-in Sustaining Costs (AISC) in the gold mining industry increased by 10% y-o-y in Q2’21, reaching US$1,067/oz. This was also the third consecutive quarter in which AISC has risen. This cost inflation is being driven by several factors, both at the mine site and at the macroeconomic level.

Costs in the gold mining industry increased for the second consecutive quarter in Q1’21, with the global average All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) up by 5% q-o-q to US$1,048/oz, reaching its highest level since Q2’13.

During Q4 2020, All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) in the gold mining industry averaged US$983/oz, up 1.8% from the previous quarter. AISC increased even though average Total Cash Costs declined by 1.6% q-o-q. This suggests that higher AISC was driven by rising sustaining capital costs rather than mine site operating costs.

Despite a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gold miners are now benefiting from significantly higher margins resulting from a continued focus on operational and cost efficiencies combined with a strong gold price.