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Resource · Energy

Crude oil

Crude oil is refined into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and feedstock for plastics. The world pumped 84.4 million barrels a day in 2025. The United States produced the most at a record 13.6 million. The US is also the largest user, and China is the largest importer. On February 28, 2026, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, which had carried about a fifth of the world's oil.

Updated October 2026 · Data from the US Energy Information Administration, the Energy Institute and OPEC

An oil pumpjack on flat, dry land under a blue sky
A pumpjack in the Permian Basin, Texas. Photo: Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Pumped in 2025
84.4 million
barrels a day
Largest producer
13.6M
barrels a day, 16%
Largest user
20.5M
barrels a day, 2024
Largest importer
11.55M
barrels of crude a day, 2025
Moved by sea
76%
of the world's oil, 2025

Which countries produce the most oil?

The United States pumped a record 13.6 million barrels a day in 2025, 16% of the world total. Nearly half came from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. Russia and Saudi Arabia follow.

On April 28, 2026, the UAE announced it would leave OPEC and OPEC+ from May 1, 2026, after 59 years. The UAE's exit lowered OPEC's share of world crude output from 35% to 31%.

World map shaded by crude oil production in 2025. The United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia are the lightest.

Million barrels a day, 2025

  1. United States13.6
  2. Russia9.9
  3. Saudi Arabia9.6
  4. Canada5.0
  5. Iraq4.4
  6. China4.3
Oil production by country →
  • Under 100,000
  • 100,000–500,000
  • 500,000–1 million
  • 1 million–3 million
  • Over 3 million
  • No production

Who uses the most oil?

The United States used 20.5 million barrels a day in 2024, about a fifth of the world total. China used 16.4 million, nearly four times what China pumps. Japan and South Korea pump almost no crude. Both rank among the top ten users.

China imported a record 11.55 million barrels of crude a day in 2025. By December 2025, China held nearly 1.4 billion barrels in storage. Since December 2022, China has bought 50% and India 37% of Russia's crude exports.

Oil pumped and oil used

Million barrels a day

Crude pumped, 2025Oil used, 2024
  1. 13.6United States20.5
  2. 4.3China16.4
  3. 0.6India5.6
  4. 9.9Russia3.8
  5. 9.6Saudi Arabia3.7
  6. 3.8Brazil3.3
  7. 0Japan3.2
  8. 0South Korea2.5
  9. 5.0Canada2.5
Crude oil and lease condensate pumped in 2025, against all oil products used in 2024 (the latest year for every country), which also come from natural gas liquids and biofuels. US Energy Information Administration.

Who refines the most oil?

China has the world's largest refining capacity at 18.8 million barrels a day, just ahead of the United States at 18.2 million. Refineries turn crude into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petrochemical feedstock.

Russia ranks third at 6.7 million barrels a day. Ukrainian drone strikes have repeatedly knocked out parts of Russia's refining capacity during the war.

Refining capacity

Million barrels a day, 2025

  1. China18.8
  2. United States18.2
  3. Russia6.7
  4. India4.9
  5. South Korea3.6
  6. Saudi Arabia3.3
  7. Japan3.1
  8. Iran2.5
How much crude each country's refineries can process, at the end of 2025. Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy 2026.

Which country has the most oil reserves?

Venezuela, with about 304 billion barrels at the end of 2025, a fifth of the world's proved reserves by OPEC's count. Saudi Arabia and Iran follow. Yet Venezuela pumped only about 1 million barrels a day in 2025, 1.2% of the world's crude.

The United States works the other way round: it holds under 3% of proved reserves and pumps 16% of the world's crude. Governments report their own reserve figures, and OPEC leaves out Canada's oil sands, which other counts rank among the world's largest.

Reserves against production

Share of reservesShare of crude output
  1. Venezuela19%1.2%
  2. Saudi Arabia17%11%
  3. Iran13%4.8%
  4. Iraq8.9%5.2%
  5. United Arab Emirates7.6%4.5%
  6. Kuwait6.5%3.1%
  7. Russia5.1%12%
  8. United States2.7%16%
Share of the world's 1,572 billion barrels of proved reserves at the end of 2025 (OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, which leaves out Canada's oil sands), and of crude oil produced in 2025 (US Energy Information Administration).

What is oil used for?

Road vehicles use around 45% of the world's oil. Petrochemical feedstock for plastics and chemicals takes about 16%. Planes and ships together account for about 12%. The rest goes to buildings, industry and power generation.

A barrel holds 159 liters of crude. A US refinery turns one barrel into about 74 liters of gasoline, 47 liters of diesel and heating oil, and 17 liters of jet fuel.

Where the world's oil goes

Share of oil used, 2024

  • Road transport45%
  • Plastics and chemicals16%
  • Planes7%
  • Ships5%
  • Buildings, industry and power27%

How much goes into one

  • 159 lof crude in one barrel
  • 74 lof gasoline from one barrel in a US refinery
  • 47 lof diesel and heating oil
  • 17 lof jet fuel
IEA, Oil 2025 and World Energy Outlook 2025. Barrel yields: US Energy Information Administration, 2023.

Which sea routes does oil travel through?

About 76% of the world's oil moved by sea in the first half of 2025. The Strait of Hormuz carried 20.9 million barrels a day, about a fifth of world oil consumption.

On February 28, 2026, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli strikes started a war. On March 11, 2026, the 32 IEA member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency stocks, the largest release in the agency's history. Brent futures touched $126.41 a barrel on April 30, 2026.

Oil through each chokepoint

Early 2025Apr–Jun 2026
  1. Strait of Malacca16.6
  2. Cape of Good Hope9.4
  3. Bab el-Mandeb8.1
  4. Suez Canal5.8
  5. Strait of Hormuz4.9
  6. Danish straits4.7
  7. Turkish Straits4.1
  8. Panama Canal3.2
Disrupted or restrictedOpen
Million barrels a day, January to June 2025 and April to June 2026. US Energy Information Administration. The status is as of October 2026.

Other resources

All 11 resources →
United States 25% Energy Natural gas Qatar's LNG cargoes fell 96% in six months after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Kazakhstan 39% Energy Uranium Russia mines under 5% of uranium but holds 43% of world enrichment capacity. Chile 23% Industrial metal Copper China refines 48% of the world's copper but mines only 8%.
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