China vs Saudi Arabia: Oil consumption
China
9,401 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
1,981 terawatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
2nd
Saudi Arabia rank
6th
Oil consumption over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
China currently reports 9,401 terawatt-hours against 1,981 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 7,420 terawatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 4.7 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 220 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and Saudi Arabia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 175.53 terawatt-hours | 233.09 terawatt-hours | 57.56 terawatt-hours | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 751.66 terawatt-hours | 287.84 terawatt-hours | 463.82 terawatt-hours | China |
| 1980s | 1,045 terawatt-hours | 502.85 terawatt-hours | 541.67 terawatt-hours | China |
| 1990s | 1,830 terawatt-hours | 711.5 terawatt-hours | 1,118 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2000s | 3,648 terawatt-hours | 1,119 terawatt-hours | 2,529 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2010s | 6,422 terawatt-hours | 1,892 terawatt-hours | 4,530 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2020s | 8,662 terawatt-hours | 1,925 terawatt-hours | 6,737 terawatt-hours | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil consumption, China or Saudi Arabia?
- China, at 9,401 terawatt-hours against 1,981 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in oil consumption between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 7,420 terawatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for oil consumption?
- China ranks 2nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026); Etemad & Luciani (1991) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Oil consumption. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours. Includes refined petroleum products and other liquid fuels.