Saudi Arabia vs USSR: Oil consumption
Saudi Arabia
1,981 terawatt-hours
in 2025
USSR
4,936 terawatt-hours
in 1984
Saudi Arabia rank
6th
USSR rank
3rd
Oil consumption over time
- Saudi Arabia
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 4,936 terawatt-hours against 1,981 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 2,955 terawatt-hours.
That makes USSR's figure about 2.5 times Saudi Arabia's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
Saudi Arabia ranks 6th and USSR ranks 3rd of 220 countries.
USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 233.09 terawatt-hours | 2,316 terawatt-hours | 2,083 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1970s | 287.84 terawatt-hours | 3,912 terawatt-hours | 3,624 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1980s | 437.53 terawatt-hours | 4,985 terawatt-hours | 4,548 terawatt-hours | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil consumption, Saudi Arabia or USSR?
- USSR, at 4,936 terawatt-hours against 1,981 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia as of 1984.
- What is the difference in oil consumption between Saudi Arabia and USSR?
- 2,955 terawatt-hours, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do Saudi Arabia and USSR rank globally for oil consumption?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 6th and USSR ranks 3rd 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.