Global oil consumption 1970-2023

The consumption of oil has steadily increased over the last three decades, totaling 4.53 billion metric tons in 2023, compared to 4.42 billion metric tons consumed the previous year. The only decline during this period was observed around the 2008-2009 financial crisis and around the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 

Regional oil consumption

The United States and China are the countries with the highest oil consumption. Overall, oil consumption worldwide reached a new high in 2023, when it exceeded 4.5 billion metric tons for the first time. However, this growth in consumption was the highest in Asia Pacific, where figures went up by some 5.3 percent. In the United States, high consumption levels were held up by demand for petrochemicals as well as increased industrial production and demand for transportation by trucks.

What is crude oil?

Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons from plant animal life that was formed under immense pressure. It generally exists in liquid form and can be found in underground pools or reservoirs, in small spaces within sedimentary rocks, and near the Earth’s surface as a tar (also known as oil sands). In turn, crude oil and other hydrocarbons in natural gases are refined to form petroleum products such as gasoline and jet fuel.