Iran vs Saudi Arabia: Share of primary energy from fossil fuels
Iran
99.1%
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
99.4%
in 2025
Iran rank
9th
Saudi Arabia rank
7th
Share of primary energy from fossil fuels over time
- Iran
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 99.4% against 99.1% in Iran, a difference of 0.3%.
Across all 61 years both countries report, Saudi Arabia has been ahead every year.
Iran ranks 9th and Saudi Arabia ranks 7th of 76 countries.
Saudi Arabia has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 98.2% | 100.0% | 1.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 98.7% | 100.0% | 1.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 98.8% | 100.0% | 1.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 99.2% | 100.0% | 0.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 99.5% | 100.0% | 0.5% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 99.0% | 100.0% | 1.0% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 98.9% | 99.8% | 0.9% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from fossil fuels, Iran or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 99.4% against 99.1% in Iran as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from fossil fuels between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.3%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Saudi Arabia?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Saudi Arabia rank globally for share of primary energy from fossil fuels?
- Iran ranks 9th and Saudi Arabia ranks 7th of 76 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of primary energy from fossil fuels. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.