Informal gold mining occurs all over the world with heavier concentrations in countries located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Informal mining happens particularly in areas considered to have low and middle levels of income and a reduced capacity for oversight and good governance.

Latin America

The rate of informal gold mining in Latin America is accelerating. The number of miners recorded in 1999 at 641,875 ASM operators increased to over 1.4 million as of 2014.^[7] Informal mining has reached epidemic levels in and around the Amazon Rainforest. As of 2018, there were at least 2,312 illicit mining sites and 245 large-scale areas where miners dredge for gold spanning Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela.^[8] In Peru, a majority of the mining is being done in protected areas in Madre de Dios and surrounding regions. In Latin America, the impacts of ASM are tied to challenges involving the environment and indigenous rights.

Africa

Informal gold mining is common in many areas of Africa with concentrations varying across countries. In most African countries, between 5-20% of the population is directly involved in artisanal mining.^[9] The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan are each home to more than 1 million miners with Ghana, South Africa, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania being among the top gold producing countries. Between 40-50% of the ASM workforce in Africa are women – in some places, like Guinea, this number is as high as 75%.^[10] In Africa, it is common for children to take part in ASM and work is largely driven by socioeconomic reasons. Large amounts of gold have been found to be smuggled out of Africa every year and much of it goes to Dubai. In these instances, the potential earnings from the export are often missed as taxes are not paid to the producing countries.^[11] In African countries, the commonalities most tied to ASM include sustainable community development and health issues related to HIV/AIDS. 

Asia

Asia is also a major producer of gold with legal regulations and practices that vary across countries. In Asia, ASM is also seen as an additional source of income and is often tied to agricultural activity. The combination of agricultural activity and mining makes some areas in Asia subject to significant risks for pollution related to the use of mercury.^[12] Informal gold mining is especially common in China and Indonesia. Indonesia drew international attention after the collapse of two unlicensed gold mines and another incident where 13 gold miners died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 2019.^[13] Despite having laws in place for mining licenses and government supervision for safety practices, the complicated nature of obtaining a mining license can take years. Counter to their potential to generate revenue as a formal entity, informal  mines can cause governments to lose money through unpaid taxes and pollution. In Indonesia, the government allocated $20 million of its 2018 state budget to reclaim soil polluted by mercury and cyanide from unregulated gold mining, though they still note that it is an uphill battle.^[14]