Jurisdiction risk tiers based on the Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies. Sub-national ratings used where available. Mine and project locations are approximate (country and region level).
What is jurisdiction risk?
Where a mine sits matters as much as what it contains. Jurisdiction risk covers the political, legal, and operational conditions that can help or hinder a project.
Political stability
Coups, regime change, and abrupt policy shifts that disrupt mining operations or investment terms.
Expropriation / nationalization
Government seizure of assets, forced ownership changes, or unilateral contract rewrites.
Permitting and regulation
Difficulty, slowness, or unpredictability in obtaining and keeping mining permits and licenses.
Rule of law and corruption
Contract enforceability, judicial independence, and bribery risk affecting dispute resolution.
Taxation and royalties
Sudden tax hikes, windfall levies, and changing royalty terms that alter project economics.
Security
Violence, kidnapping, illegal mining, and community conflict near operations.
Infrastructure
Power, water, and road access that affect whether a project can operate at planned scale.
Risk tiers on this map
Each dot is color-coded by Fraser Institute jurisdiction tier. Sub-national ratings used where available.
365 projects
174
133
174Tier 1Low risk
Stable, mining-friendly jurisdictions with strong rule of law and reliable permitting.
Nevada, Quebec, Western Australia
133Tier 2Moderate risk
Generally functional mining regions with some policy uncertainty or permitting friction.
43Tier 3High risk
Elevated political, regulatory, or security risk. Weaker rule of law or higher expropriation exposure.
13UnratedUnknown
Not covered by the Fraser Institute survey. Risk is unknown, not assumed low.
Jurisdiction risk tiers based on the Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies
Understanding jurisdiction risk
What the tiers above look like in practice: the highest and lowest rated jurisdictions on this map, and events that show where jurisdiction risk lands.
Best and worst jurisdictions
Ranked by the same Fraser Institute derived index that sets the tiers on this map. One jurisdiction per country, limited to places where a tracked company holds a project.
Lowest riskTier 1
Highest scores on the survey's policy factors: legal system, permitting, taxation, political stability, and security.
Nevada24
United Statesprojects
Lapland1
Finlandproject
Western Australia22
Australiaprojects
Saskatchewan3
Canadaprojects
Limerick1
Irelandproject
Örebro1
Swedenproject
Highest riskTier 3
Lowest scores on the same policy factors, including political stability, legal enforcement, and security.
Haut-Uele2
Democratic Republic of Congoprojects
Balochistan1
Pakistanproject
Potosi4
Boliviaprojects
Nueva Segovia1
Nicaraguaproject
Grand Bassa / Bong1
Liberiaproject
North West4
South Africaprojects
Why it matters
Jurisdiction risk affects whether a project gets permitted and built, what it costs to operate, and the safety of the people who work on it. Those conditions sit outside the geology, so a world-class deposit in a high-risk jurisdiction may never reach production. It is one factor investors weigh alongside grade, size, and cost.
Recent examples
Examples of jurisdiction risk affecting mining operations. Each is dated and linked to its source.
SecurityJanuary 2026
Vizsla Silver · Panuco project
Concordia, Sinaloa, MexicoTier 2
Ten workers were abducted from the project on January 23, 2026, and nine were later confirmed dead. Mexico's security secretary said the area is controlled by the Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, and that evidence from arrests indicated the workers had been mistaken for members of a rival group. Vizsla suspended work at Panuco.
Thirteen people from communities around the Morelos gold project were abducted on February 7, 2015, including one Torex employee and three contractor workers. At least eleven were returned, ten of them freed by the Mexican Army. Torex temporarily stopped work at the project and delayed first production.
Four Los Filos employees were abducted in early March 2015 while travelling to work. Three were found dead about a week later and the fourth was released. Goldcorp said the employees were not conducting company business or using company transportation when they were taken.