Mozambique is endowed in several mineral resources such as coal. However, the country’s economic indicatives are far from satisfactory. The main aim of this study is to measure the coal abundance and dependence on Mozambique’s economic growth and human development, which will help to answer the question: are coal resources a blessing or a curse? The study used quarterly time series data from 2010Q1 to 2019Q4 using the ARDL estimation procedure and a VECM Granger causality test. The results revealed that coal abundance and dependence have a negative effect on economic growth in the long term. This means that the Mozambican coal sector is at risk of facing the resource curse. In the other hand coal abundance and dependence show a positive effect on human development. In this sense, coal resources may be a blessing rather than a curse for human development. The study found inward FDI and coal taxes to have a positive and significant effect on economic growth. It was also found that in the long run, the country’s economic benefits from coal exploitation will reduce due to increasing corruption concerns. Bi-directional Granger causality between per capita GDP and coal abundance, between corruption and coal abundance. Investment in coal manufacture, more economic diversification, and reinforcement of the control of corruption are recommended for the maximization of the social and economic benefits of coal exploitation in Mozambique.