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Average number of employees | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Average Number Of Employees [Abstract] |
Average number of employees | 32 Average number of employees
| Subsidiaries and joint operations |  | Equity accounted units (Rio Tinto share) |  | Group total |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |
The principal locations of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
employment were: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Australia and New Zealand |  | 19,041 |  |  | 20,489 |  |  | 22,125 |  |  | 602 |  |  | 849 |  |  | 863 |  |  | 19,643 |  |  | 21,338 |  |  | 22,988 |
Canada |  | 10,256 |  |  | 10,239 |  |  | 11,113 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 10,256 |  |  | 10,239 |  |  | 11,113 |
UK |  | 309 |  |  | 487 |  |  | 542 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 309 |  |  | 487 |  |  | 542 |
Europe |  | 1,505 |  |  | 1,722 |  |  | 2,312 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 1,505 |  |  | 1,722 |  |  | 2,312 |
Africa |  | 3,461 |  |  | 4,875 |  |  | 5,651 |  |  | 1,269 |  |  | 1,270 |  |  | 1,271 |  |  | 4,730 |  |  | 6,145 |  |  | 6,922 |
US |  | 3,429 |  |  | 3,196 |  |  | 3,439 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 3,429 |  |  | 3,196 |  |  | 3,439 |
Mongolia |  | 2,861 |  |  | 2,737 |  |  | 2,647 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 2,861 |  |  | 2,737 |  |  | 2,647 |
Indonesia |  | 1,642 |  |  | 2,862 |  |  | 2,871 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 1,642 |  |  | 2,862 |  |  | 2,871 |
South America |  | 197 |  |  | 166 |  |  | 192 |  |  | 1,237 |  |  | 1,388 |  |  | 1,317 |  |  | 1,434 |  |  | 1,554 |  |  | 1,509 |
Other countries (a) |  | 998 |  |  | 749 |  |  | 595 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 998 |  |  | 749 |  |  | 595 |
|  | 43,699 |  |  | 47,522 |  |  | 51,487 |  |  | 3,108 |  |  | 3,507 |  |  | 3,451 |  |  | 46,807 |  |  | 51,029 |  |  | 54,938 |
(a) | “Other countries” primarily includes employees in the Middle East (excluding Oman which is included in Africa), India, Singapore and other countries in Asia which are not shown separately in the table above. For the year ended 31 December 2017, the average number of employees in Singapore was 434 (2016: 262) and the average number of employees in India was 310 (2016: 280).
Employee numbers, which represent the average for the year, include 100 per cent of employees of subsidiary companies. Employee numbers for joint operations and equity accounted units are proportional to the Group’s interest under contractual agreements. Average employee numbers include a part-year effect for companies acquired or disposed of during the year. Part-time employees are included on a full-time-equivalent basis. Temporary employees are included in employee numbers. People employed by contractors are not included.

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