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Rare earth metals—more commonly called rare-earth elements (REEs)—are a group of 17 chemically similar elements: the 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium. The word “rare” does not mean all 17 are scarce in Earth’s crust; economically useful deposits are limited because the elements are not commonly concentrated in one place.
What are rare earth metals?
In the common broad definition, rare earth metals are the 17 elements made up of the lanthanide series and scandium and yttrium. They are called “metals” because of their elemental classification, but in nature they are generally found in minerals rather than as isolated native metals.
Not every reference draws the boundary identically. The U.S. Geological Survey’s 2012 report explicitly defines the group as scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides. Other USGS references describe yttrium as commonly regarded as a rare-earth element or say scandium and yttrium are often included. This article uses the familiar 17-element convention. USGS, 2012; USGS Professional Paper 1802-O; USGS Thesaurus
Which elements are rare earth metals?
The 17-element grouping consists of 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium. The lanthanides run from lanthanum (La, atomic number 57) through lutetium (Lu, atomic number 71).
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| Part of the grouping | Elements |
|---|---|
| Lanthanides (15) | Lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu) |
| Often included alongside the lanthanides (2) | Scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y) |
“Lanthanide” and “rare-earth element” are therefore not interchangeable under the broad convention: lanthanides are the 15-element series, while the rare-earth grouping adds scandium and yttrium. USGS, 2012; USGS Thesaurus
Are rare earth metals actually rare?
Not necessarily in terms of average abundance. The name is misleading if read as a claim that every rare-earth element is exceptionally scarce throughout Earth’s crust. The practical challenge is that deposits where these elements are concentrated enough to be economically useful are limited in number. As the USGS puts it, “Although REEs are not rare in terms of average crustal abundance, the concentrated deposits of REEs are limited in number.” USGS Professional Paper 1802-O
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That distinction matters: an element can be present in the crust without being gathered into a deposit that can be mined and processed economically. “Rare” does not provide a precise abundance threshold or mean that all members occur at equal concentrations. USGS Fact Sheet 087-02
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How are rare-earth elements different from minerals and critical minerals?
- Rare-earth elements are chemical elements in the defined group.
- Rare-earth minerals are naturally occurring materials that contain one or more of those elements. A mineral deposit or ore is not itself an element.
- Critical minerals are designated under policy criteria that can include economic or strategic importance and supply risk. The category depends on the jurisdiction and can change; it is not another name for rare-earth elements.
The terms describe different things: chemical membership, naturally occurring host materials, and a policy classification. USGS Professional Paper 1802-O; USGS critical-minerals overview
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Why are rare earth metals used?
Their physical and chemical properties make them useful across industries, but their applications vary by element and material. The USGS identifies glass polishing and additives that give glass color or special optical properties among leading uses of rare-earth raw materials. Its 2025 critical-minerals overview gives further examples: samarium is used in permanent magnets, nuclear reactors, and cancer treatments; scandium is used to strengthen metal alloys and in fuel cells and high-intensity lighting. USGS Professional Paper 1802-O; USGS 2025 critical-minerals overview
These examples do not mean every rare-earth element has the same role, or that every member appears on every jurisdiction’s critical-minerals list. The chemical grouping and the policy lists are separate concepts.
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