This paper provides an updated assessment of global mercury emissions from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Natural sources account for 5207 Mg of mercury released annually to the atmosphere, including re-emission processes from previously deposited mercury and primary emissions from natural reservoirs. Anthropogenic sources, primarily industrial point sources, contribute 2320 Mg of mercury annually. The major contributors are fossil-fuel-fired power plants (810 Mg yr⁻¹), artisanal small-scale gold mining (400 Mg yr⁻¹), non-ferrous metal manufacturing (310 Mg yr⁻¹), cement production (236 Mg yr⁻¹), waste disposal (187 Mg yr⁻¹), and caustic soda production (163 Mg yr⁻¹). The overall contribution from natural and anthropogenic sources is nearly 7527 Mg per year. The uncertainties in these estimates are related to the typology of emission sources and source regions. The paper also discusses the impact of policy measures aimed at reducing mercury emissions and highlights the need for improved emission inventories, especially for emerging economies.This paper provides an updated assessment of global mercury emissions from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Natural sources account for 5207 Mg of mercury released annually to the atmosphere, including re-emission processes from previously deposited mercury and primary emissions from natural reservoirs. Anthropogenic sources, primarily industrial point sources, contribute 2320 Mg of mercury annually. The major contributors are fossil-fuel-fired power plants (810 Mg yr⁻¹), artisanal small-scale gold mining (400 Mg yr⁻¹), non-ferrous metal manufacturing (310 Mg yr⁻¹), cement production (236 Mg yr⁻¹), waste disposal (187 Mg yr⁻¹), and caustic soda production (163 Mg yr⁻¹). The overall contribution from natural and anthropogenic sources is nearly 7527 Mg per year. The uncertainties in these estimates are related to the typology of emission sources and source regions. The paper also discusses the impact of policy measures aimed at reducing mercury emissions and highlights the need for improved emission inventories, especially for emerging economies.