Energy Shift
Which Countries Produce the Most Natural Gas?
Which Countries Produce the Most Natural Gas?
Natural gas prices have risen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, exacerbating an already tight supply situation.
Making matters worse, Moscow has since cut gas exports to Europe to multi-year lows, sending Europe’s gas price to almost 10 times its pre-war average.
Using data from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, the above infographic provides further context on the gas market by visualizing the world’s largest gas producers in 2021.
Natural Gas Consumption at All-Time High in 2021
Natural gas is part of nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It is used for heating, cooking, electricity generation, as fuel for motor vehicles, in fertilizers, and in the manufacture of plastics.
The fuel is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas and non-renewable fossil fuel that forms below the Earth’s surface. Although the Earth has enormous quantities of natural gas, much of it is in areas far from where the fuel is needed. To facilitate transport and reduce volume, natural gas is frequently converted into liquefied natural gas (LNG), in a process called liquefaction.
Despite global efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, natural gas consumption reached a new all-time high in 2021, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by 3.3%.
Demand is expected to decline slightly in 2022 and remain subdued up to 2025, according to the International Energy Agency.
| Region | 2021 Demand in Billion Cubic Meters (bcm) | 2022P (bcm) | 2025P (bcm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 169 | 172 | 188 |
| Asia Pacific | 895 | 907 | 990 |
| Central and South America | 153 | 147 | 153 |
| Eurasia | 634 | 619 | 632 |
| Europe | 604 | 549 | 536 |
| Middle East | 564 | 582 | 627 |
| North America | 1,084 | 1,108 | 1,116 |
| World | 4,103 | 4,083 | 4,243 |
The Asia Pacific region and the industrial sector are expected to be the main drivers of global gas consumption in the coming years
Natural Gas Production, by Country
The world’s top 10 producers of natural gas account for about 73% of total production.
| Rank | Country | 2021 Production (bcm) | Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 🇺🇸 United States | 934.2 | 23.1% |
| #2 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 701.7 | 17.4% |
| #3 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 256.7 | 6.4% |
| #4 | 🇨🇳 China | 209.2 | 5.2% |
| #5 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 177.0 | 4.4% |
| #6 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 172.3 | 4.3% |
| #7 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 147.2 | 3.6% |
| #8 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 117.3 | 2.9% |
| #9 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 114.3 | 2.8% |
| #10 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 100.8 | 2.5% |
| #12 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 79.3 | 2.0% |
| #13 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 74.2 | 1.8% |
| #14 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 67.8 | 1.7% |
| #15 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 59.3 | 1.5% |
| #16 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 57.0 | 1.4% |
| #17 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 50.9 | 1.3% |
| #18 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 45.9 | 1.1% |
| 🌐 Rest of the World | 671.8 | 16.6% | |
| 🌐 Global Total | 4,036.9 | 100.0% |
Natural gas accounts for 32% of primary energy consumption in the United States, the world’s largest producer. Russia is the second biggest producer, and also has at least 37 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, the most in the world.
China’s natural gas production grew by 7.8% in 2021, and it has nearly doubled since 2011. This sustained growth in production is partly down to government policies incentivizing coal-to-gas switching.
Europe’s Natural Gas Crisis
Russia has significantly reduced flows of natural gas to Europe since Western nations imposed sanctions on the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. Before the war, the European Union (EU) imported about 40% of its natural gas from Russia.
The gas is transported by the Nord Stream system, a pair of offshore natural gas pipeline networks in Europe that run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
Russian energy giant Gazprom recently halved the amount of natural gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20% of capacity, blaming Western sanctions for a delay in the delivery in a necessary turbine. EU officials say Russia is “weaponizing” its gas supply.
Amid tensions, the EU bloc outlined a plan to phase out dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Lithuania ceased Russian gas imports at the beginning of April. Estonia’s and Latvia’s imports also dropped to zero at the start of that month. Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Poland all announced that they do not intend to renew long-term contracts with Gazprom.
Despite these efforts, Europe remains dependent on Russia for its supply of natural gas, at least in the short and medium term.
Energy Shift
Charted: Coal Still Dominates Global Electricity Generation
Fossil fuels account for nearly 60% of power generation.
Charted: Coal Still Dominates Global Electricity Generation
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Fossil fuels made up nearly 60% of 2024 electricity generation.
- Coal accounts for 35% of total power generation.
Fossil Fuels Still Power Most of the World
Global energy demand grew faster than average in 2024, driven by rising electricity use across sectors. The power sector led the surge, with demand growing nearly twice as fast as overall energy use—fueled by increased cooling needs, industrial activity, transport electrification, and the expansion of data centers and AI.
Despite a growing push toward cleaner energy sources, coal remains the leading source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for nearly 60% of global power generation, with coal alone contributing 35%, according to the International Energy Agency.
While renewable energy continues to expand, making up about one-third of total electricity production, the global energy mix still leans heavily on traditional sources.
| Country | Coal | Natural Gas | Oil | Renewables | Nuclear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | 73.4% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 20.5% | 2.6% |
| 🇨🇳 China | 58.4% | 3.2% | 0.1% | 33.9% | 4.4% |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | 15.6% | 42.6% | 0.7% | 23.3% | 17.9% |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 10.7% | 15.6% | 1.5% | 48.7% | 23.6% |
| 🌍 Global | 34.5% | 21.8% | 2.4% | 32.1% | 9.1% |
In emerging markets and developing economies, coal continues to be the backbone of power systems. China, the world’s largest energy consumer, generated nearly 60% of its electricity from coal. In India, coal’s dominance is even more pronounced, providing close to three-quarters of all electricity produced.
In contrast, advanced economies are increasingly relying on cleaner sources. In 2024, the European Union made significant strides in renewable energy adoption—nearly half of its electricity came from renewables, far exceeding the global average.
In the United States, natural gas led the power mix, accounting for over 40% of electricity generation in 2024. President Trump’s pro-coal policies and the surge in energy demand from AI innovation are expected to boost coal production in the U.S. over the next few years.
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If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic that shows how 36 companies are responsible for half of the fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions.
Energy Shift
How the Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Have Changed (2022 vs. 2025)
Despite sanctions against Moscow, the EU remains a key consumer of Russian fossil fuels.
How the Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Have Changed (2022 vs. 2025)
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Since the war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, Russia has earned $915 billion from fossil fuel exports, with EU countries accounting for over $223 billion.
Despite sanctions against Moscow, the EU remains a key consumer of Russian fossil fuels.
This graphic highlights the largest importers of Russian fossil fuels, based on the daily flow of oil and gas, using data from the CREA Fossil Fuel Tracker as of March 2025.
China Becomes the Biggest Buyer
In June 2022, China overtook the EU as the largest importer of Russian fossil fuels. Today, China imports nearly six times more than the EU. India and Turkey have also emerged as major buyers.
| Country | 2022-01-14 (tonnes) | 2025-03-13 (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 435,025 | 607,288 |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 928,998 | 104,646 |
| 🌍 Others | 244,945 | 275,747 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 28,907 | 344,848 |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 138,860 | 239,662 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 93,267 | 30,255 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 33,468 | 0 |
| 🇬🇧 UK | 49,062 | 0 |
Meanwhile, imports from the U.S. and UK, which were relatively small before the invasion, have dropped to zero.
EU Reliance on Russian Fuel
A report released by Ember estimates that European purchases of Russian gas amounted to €21.9 billion ($23.6 billion) in 2024.
Additionally, data collected by Kpler and analyzed by POLITICO Europe revealed that in the first 15 days of 2025, the 27 EU countries imported a record-high 837,300 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia. This has raised concerns that billions of dollars could be fueling Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Position in Global Oil Production
Russia remains one of the world’s top oil producers, frequently competing with Saudi Arabia for the second spot behind the United States.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s oil industry was privatized, but in 2021, the state forced a consolidation and restructuring of the sector. Today, Gazprom, Rosneft, and Lukoil are Russia’s leading oil and gas producers.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
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