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The restoration of degraded areas in mined land has not always achieved the desired success. Biological tools such as the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are needed to increase and accelerate the restoration effectiveness of natural processes and ecosystem services in restored degraded areas. AMF can increase water and nutrient uptake by the host plants, therefore decreasing plant stress and improving habitat development in mined areas under restoration. We conducted a global meta-analysis from 193 independent outcomes to understand the overall effect of employing AMF as a restoration tool and to evaluate sources of variation on the effects of AMF inoculation on plant development in areas degraded by mining. Our results emphasize the great potential of the use of AMF to stimulate plant growth in the restoration of mined areas with stronger effects if associated with the utilization of organic matter and other soil microorganisms. Although AMF studies are concentrated in temperate regions, AMF inoculum promoted greater plant development on mined substrates regardless of the region and fungi type or origin. Inoculation also improved plant growth in materials of difficult restoration, such as overburden and tailings, but the AMF effects depended upon the exploited mineral type. Further investment in long-term field studies on the effects of AMF inoculation on plant survival, reproduction, fitness, and related ecological processes is essential to further consolidate the use of AMF on the restoration of mined areas. • Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi is an efficient tool for restoration of mined areas. • Mycorrhiza fungi effects depended on the exploited mineral type. • Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi improve plant growth on substrates from tailings. • Symbiotic microorganism addition enhances mycorrhizal effect on plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]