What is the difference in oil consumption between United States and USSR?

5,182 terawatt-hours, with United States ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?

20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.

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.

United States vs USSR: Oil consumption

United States

10,118 terawatt-hours

in 2025

USSR

4,936 terawatt-hours

in 1984

United States rank

1st

USSR rank

3rd

Oil consumption over time

United States
USSR

How they compare

United States currently reports 10,118 terawatt-hours against 4,936 terawatt-hours in USSR, a difference of 5,182 terawatt-hours.

That makes United States's figure about 2.0 times USSR's.

Across all 20 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.

United States ranks 1st and USSR ranks 3rd of 220 countries.

United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	United States	USSR	Difference	Ahead
1960s	7,085 terawatt-hours	2,316 terawatt-hours	4,769 terawatt-hours	United States
1970s	9,449 terawatt-hours	3,912 terawatt-hours	5,537 terawatt-hours	United States
1980s	8,700 terawatt-hours	4,985 terawatt-hours	3,715 terawatt-hours	United States

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher oil consumption, United States or USSR?: United States, at 10,118 terawatt-hours against 4,936 terawatt-hours in USSR as of 2025.
What is the difference in oil consumption between United States and USSR?: 5,182 terawatt-hours, with United States ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?: 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
How do United States and USSR rank globally for oil consumption?: United States ranks 1st 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.

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United States vs USSR: Oil consumption. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/oil-consumption-by-country/united-states/ussr/

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<a href="https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/oil-consumption-by-country/united-states/ussr/">United States vs USSR: Oil consumption</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Oil consumption
Unit: terawatt-hours
Source: 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
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 222 places, 10,699 data points, 1965–2025
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Measured in terawatt-hours. Includes refined petroleum products and other liquid fuels.