10 Countries with the Largest Crude Oil Consumption Globally, US Leads

Global oil consumption remains highly concentrated among countries with large economies and high populations. Despite the growing development of renewable energy, oil remains one of the primary energy sources for many nations.

Data from the Energy Institute shows that the ten countries with the largest oil consumption account for approximately 61 percent of total global oil consumption in 2024. When expanded to the top 20 countries, their contribution reaches approximately 80 percent of total global consumption.

This demonstrates that global oil demand is heavily influenced by economic activity, the transportation sector, and industrial development in several major countries.

The United States remains the world’s largest oil-consuming nation. In 2024, the country’s oil consumption reached approximately 19 million barrels per day, equivalent to 18.7 percent of total global oil consumption.

The majority of oil consumption in the United States originates from the transportation sector, which accounts for approximately 70 percent. Additionally, approximately 24 percent is used by the industrial sector, including as raw materials for plastics and petrochemicals production.

China holds the second position with consumption of approximately 16.4 million barrels per day, or approximately 16.1 percent of global oil consumption.

However, per capita oil consumption in China remains considerably lower compared to the United States. The country also continues to rely heavily on coal in its energy mix to meet domestic energy needs.

Meanwhile, India ranks third with consumption of approximately 5.6 million barrels per day, or approximately 5.5 percent of global oil consumption.

Besides the United States, China, and India, several other countries also feature in the list of the world’s largest oil consumers. These nations include Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, and Germany.

Each of these countries consumes between four and two million barrels of oil per day.

In the Southeast Asian region, Indonesia also features in the list of the 20 countries with the largest oil consumption globally, with consumption of approximately 1.6 million barrels per day.

This reflects the substantial energy demand in a country with a large population and continuously developing economic activity.