Peru small-scale and artisanal mining census

Peru is preparing to conduct its first National Census of Small-Scale and Artisanal Mining to address significant data gaps in the sector. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), and the Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute (INGEMMET).

Preparation for the census is scheduled for 2026, with field work expected during the first half of 2027. The project aims to cover all 24 departments of Peru, targeting approximately 60,000 mining establishments to collect georeferenced data on operational, productive, and labor characteristics. To fund this 12-month initiative, MINEM has allocated S/ 38.1 million.

The census is intended to provide a foundation for public policies regarding mining formalization and sustainable development. This follows reports that previous government policies relied on broad estimates of between 200,000 and 600,000 miners. The effort occurs amid ongoing challenges with formalization; as of June 2026, only 2.6% of registrants in the Integral Mining Formalization Registry (REINFO) had successfully completed the process. Additionally, the Illegal Mining Observatory (OMI) has raised concerns that certain legislative proposals could “institutionalize informality” rather than effectively regulating the sector.