What is the difference in gas reserves between Iran (Islamic Republic of) and USSR?

11.32 trillion cubic meters, with USSR ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Iran (Islamic Republic of) and USSR?

12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1991.

Where does this data come from?

U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Gas reserves. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Iran (Islamic Republic of) vs USSR: Gas reserves

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

33.99 trillion cubic meters

in 2021

USSR

45.31 trillion cubic meters

in 1991

Iran (Islamic Republic of) rank

3rd

USSR rank

2nd

Gas reserves over time

Iran (Islamic Republic of)
USSR

How they compare

USSR currently reports 45.31 trillion cubic meters against 33.99 trillion cubic meters in Iran (Islamic Republic of), a difference of 11.32 trillion cubic meters.

That makes USSR's figure about 1.3 times Iran (Islamic Republic of)'s.

Across all 12 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.

Iran (Islamic Republic of) ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 2nd of 211 countries.

USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Iran (Islamic Republic of)	USSR	Difference	Ahead
1980s	13.60 trillion cubic meters	37.01 trillion cubic meters	23.41 trillion cubic meters	USSR
1990s	15.58 trillion cubic meters	43.89 trillion cubic meters	28.31 trillion cubic meters	USSR

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher gas reserves, Iran (Islamic Republic of) or USSR?: USSR, at 45.31 trillion cubic meters against 33.99 trillion cubic meters in Iran (Islamic Republic of) as of 1991.
What is the difference in gas reserves between Iran (Islamic Republic of) and USSR?: 11.32 trillion cubic meters, with USSR ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran (Islamic Republic of) and USSR?: 12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1991.
How do Iran (Islamic Republic of) and USSR rank globally for gas reserves?: Iran (Islamic Republic of) ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 2nd of 211 countries.
Where does this data come from?: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Gas reserves. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iran (Islamic Republic of) vs USSR: Gas reserves. Statizoid, drawing on U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/natural-gas-proved-reserves/iran-islamic-rep/ussr/

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About this data

Indicator: Gas reserves
Unit: cubic meters
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 215 places, 8,321 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Proved reserves, measured in cubic meters, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information.