United States vs USSR: Gas reserves
United States
13.18 trillion cubic meters
in 2020
USSR
45.31 trillion cubic meters
in 1991
United States rank
5th
USSR rank
2nd
Gas reserves over time
- United States
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 45.31 trillion cubic meters against 13.18 trillion cubic meters in United States, a difference of 32.13 trillion cubic meters.
That makes USSR's figure about 3.4 times United States's.
Across all 12 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
United States ranks 5th 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 | United States | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.50 trillion cubic meters | 37.01 trillion cubic meters | 31.51 trillion cubic meters | USSR |
| 1990s | 4.76 trillion cubic meters | 43.89 trillion cubic meters | 39.13 trillion cubic meters | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gas reserves, United States or USSR?
- USSR, at 45.31 trillion cubic meters against 13.18 trillion cubic meters in United States as of 1991.
- What is the difference in gas reserves between United States and USSR?
- 32.13 trillion cubic meters, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1991.
- How do United States and USSR rank globally for gas reserves?
- United States ranks 5th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.